Seeing Color
by frosty wonder ice
Summary: Shounenai. Slight hints at Takedai. Daisuke has a few secrets that finally begin to get away from him.
1. Never Meant to Hurt You, Never Meant to ...

I don't own _Digimon_. This does contain slight hints at Takedai and Yamasuke, and it's a _weird _fic.

The '*  *  *' resembles a day change, and the '--' resembles an hour change, or if the first part was in the morning, the second part is usually in the afternoon. And the paragraphs/words between the '~~~' are Daisuke's dreams.

*  *  *

"Pass me your pink pastel, would you Daisuke?"

Daisuke's eyes flickered up briefly before moving to the chalk-like items before him. He scanned the little labels under the lighter colors for the word 'pink'. It took him but a quick moment to spot it and flip it towards Kari sitting across from him. She muttered a thanks, never once glancing away from her picture spread out on the podium in front of her.

A bang of a door caught Daisuke's attention. Takeru was dripping wet in the art room doorway, having been soaked by the rain pouring down outside. He pulled off his raincoat and hung it on a hook where several other wet coats were and slipped out of his soggy shoes before moving to where Daisuke and Kari were painting. Well, in Daisuke's case, _supposed_ to be painting.

Everything that day had distracted Daisuke from his work. Usually he started vigilantly on a new picture of perfect art, but today…

"Nice use of color there, Dai," Takeru teased upon seeing the blank white before Daisuke.

"Whatever," Daisuke mumbled in response.

Takeru smiled and sat down at the work place next to his friend. He pulled his case from beneath the podium and opened it, setting all his colors where he wanted them. A little later the art teacher walked by and handed him a blank canvas, giving him a pointed look for being late. She whispered something quietly about letting this once slide because he was usually a good student and it was raining. Takeru smiled winningly at her and thanked her for her leniency.

"What took you so long to get here?" Daisuke asked once she'd left. He tapped his pencil on the podium thoughtfully, not really caring to hear an answer, but finding it polite to ask.

"Yamato's windshield was covered in ice from the sleet last night and he couldn't see where he was going, so I made him pull over until it was cleared," Takeru replied, also not caring if Daisuke heard his answer, but finding it polite to respond.

Daisuke nodded slightly. "Oh."

"I hate it when it rains and sleets," Kari said suddenly. Both boys looked in her direction, suddenly interested in what she had to say, but a different reason for both. She sat back in her chair and studied her pastel artwork. "It's always so cold outside and gray. I hate being cold, and I really hate the color gray."

Daisuke rolled is eyes and drifted back to what he was supposed to be doing. He'd already known that much about Kari, having learned the first because she screamed whenever he put ice down her shirt and the second because she never liked any of his drawings, which were done in pencil and had absolutely no color in them. All of the color pastels, markers, and paints in his case were barely used, and _only_ barely because other people used them.

"I guess your artwork isn't appreciated," Takeru whispered, leaning over to Daisuke. He got a shrug as a reply and smiled. Daisuke was by far the most interesting person he knew. All the boy seemed to care about was getting Kari to like him, _except_ for when they were in art class. In that case, he couldn't care less about Kari, and this amused Takeru very much. He, personally, loved Daisuke's work, but would never tell Kari that.

_Gray isn't bad._ Daisuke thought. He heard Takeru whisper something else to him, but didn't respond in any way. A little later the blonde was busy creating something new. _I happen to like gray. **Because it's the only color you see.** Yes, true, but I've seen those other colors, and gray isn't bad. **When did** _you_ **see other colors?** A long time ago_… **_Why didn't you tell me about this?_**_ I didn't think you'd care. **I always care, Daisuke**_. _I'm sorry then, I'll tell you next time. **You'd better**_.

"Motomiya Daisuke!"

Daisuke snapped from his thoughtful conversation and looked at the teacher standing over him. "Yes ma'am?"

The class giggled as the teacher frowned. "Could you please stop daydreaming and work on something? If you don't have anything done by the end of the period, then I will be forced to give you a 0. Now get to work!"

The class giggled again when Daisuke blushed. "Yes ma'am."

"What were you thinking about?" Takeru asked once their teacher walked off.

Daisuke sighed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

--

"Why exactly didn't you tell Haiku earlier?"

Daisuke fidgeted under the watchful stare of the six doctors sitting before him in the shadows. He never liked this room. This was the worst possible place he had ever imagined, and now that he was getting older – getting in trouble more often actually – it was becoming a more and more frequent visit to the room. Of course, today his mom brought him in for a check up, but somehow they'd found out about his conversation with Haiku. He'd known Haiku might have told them, but he truly had been hoping Haiku wouldn't tell anyone, especially not the Council – the six doctors before him.

"I… I didn't think it was important," Daisuke whispered and fidgeted again as he heard the scratch of pencils on paper.

There was a glint as one of the doctors looked up and the dim light caught the dark glasses he was wearing. "What exactly did you see?"

"I don't know how to explain it… it just wasn't gray…" Daisuke's voice had dropped to below a whisper, but he knew they'd hear him. If they could hear his thoughts, then they could definitely hear his spoken words, even if they were just a squeak.

"What exactly did you see? What object?"  Another doctor asked.

_Exactly this, exactly that. Why is everything always exactly_? **_Ah, ah, Daisuke. Be good_**. Daisuke sighed and looked at the mirror to his left. He knew Haiku was standing behind it, watching him and listening to what he had to think. "I saw the trees and some animals and the clothes I was wearing. It was amazing. It was just like they were there, the colors I mean."

There was a whisper of voices before, "What exactly were the colors?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Daisuke snapped, turning his head to glare at the doctors. **_That's not being good Daisuke… Apologize_**. He sighed again. "I'm sorry. Things have been… irritable here lately."

"Tell us about this… _digital_ world that you've been visiting."

_Digiworld? I can't tell them about that! **Yes you can**. But it's supposed to be a secret, Haiku! You promised! **Daisuke, tell them now**. _Yet another sigh escaped his lips. "The digital world is amazing. There are many different types of monsters there, or as we call them-"

"Who are _we_?"

"My friends. The-"

"What are their names?"

"Takaishi Takeru, Yagami Hikari, Hida Iori, and Inoue Miyako."

"Go on."

"The monsters are called digimon. My friends and I were chosen to protect them from this cruel person who calls himself the Digimon Emperor. We're called the digidestined. There was an original digidestined, and they help us-"

"What are their names?"

"Ishida Yamato, Takenouchi Sora, Yagami Taichi-"

"Is this _Taichi_ related to the Hikari girl?"

"Yes, and Yamato is Takeru's older brother. Their parents are divorced, so that's why they have different last names."

"Go on."

"Kido Jyou, Izumi Koushiro, and Tachikawa Mimi, but she lives in New York, US of A. They help us when we are really confused and don't know what to do to protect the digimon from the Emperor, who is Ichijouji Ken, by the way."

The doctors whispered to one another. A minute later one said, "Go on."

"We have to go to the digital world through the computers. It's a real world, not a game, like Ken thinks. We're trying to convince him of that, but he doesn't believe us." Daisuke paused, trying to think of what else he could say. **_Tell them about what happens to me when you go there_**. Daisuke frowned, and continued. "Whenever I get sucked through the computer, my ear chip goes wiggy and I can't hear Haiku, and he can't hear me."

Another round of whispers, this one much longer than the last. There was more scratching on paper as they jotted down the notes. Daisuke glared at the mirror next to him. He was horribly angry at Haiku for making him tell the Council that. Now they might not let him return.

"Motomiya Daisuke," one of the doctors announced. "You are permitted to the 'digital world' only if you give a full report about your adventures there. We will be working on a new, better chip so Haiku can keep contact with you for when you go there. We are finished now, you may go home."

"Thanks," Daisuke muttered and rose to his feet. He walked to the door at the back of the room and waited for it to be opened by security. Later he was walking at his mother's side as they left the building with refills of Daisuke's old medicine and bottles of new prescriptions, as well as papers to fill out his 'reports' on the digital world. Needless to say, Daisuke was very bitter.

As his mother unlocked the car, Daisuke felt someone watching him. He looked back towards the building to see a figure standing in the doorway, but he couldn't see her person's face. _Haiku… **Yes**. I thought it was you_. Ever since Daisuke could remember Haiku had been inside his mind. He'd never seen the man, except for the occasional shadowy outline or from far away like now. Eventually he'd gotten good at keeping certain thoughts from Haiku. The Council thought they had complete control over his mind, but they were greatly mistaken. There were things Daisuke thought about that they would never know about; things that not even Haiku would know about.

Like the time Daisuke saw color. It'd been at his soccer game against Ken's team. When he went to shake hands with the famous child, Ken's eyes flickered a new color; something he'd never seen before. It was amazing and at first he'd been hypnotized by it, but he managed to keep Haiku from finding this out. Then later, when he went to the digital world and discovered whom the Emperor was, he'd seen the flash of color again. Then everything started to change. He could see the colors, the beautiful colors; all of it initiating from the eyes of Ichijouji Ken.

They would have never known about the color had he not slipped up earlier that day…

*  *  *

"This is pointless. We're not going to find him!"

_She's annoying me. **Who?** Miyako_. Daisuke glanced at the purple-haired girl in front of him and scowled. She could really push his nerves some times. Of course he wasn't always disgusted with her, but at times like this – when they were recently defeated by the Digimon Emperor, that is – she completely destroyed any form of patience and sanity that he had.

"Would you shut up?" Daisuke snapped.

"Ohh, excuse me for being rational," Miyako retorted.

Takeru grabbed Daisuke's shoulders before he freaked and pounded Miyako into the ground. He glanced at the blonde and jerked away, stalking off towards his apartments.

"Well, good bye to you, too!" Takeru shouted after him with a laugh. He waited for Daisuke disappear around the corner to let his smile fall. He dug around in his pocket as he turned to follow Miyako and Iori for his cell phone. He pulled it out and flipped it open, dialing his brother's number.

There were a few rings and then, "Moshi, moshi. Ishida residence."

"Hey, Yamato?"

"Oh – hi Take. What do you need?"

Takeru thought about how to put what he needed in words. He was worried that Daisuke was depressed. The day before, Daisuke had told him that he couldn't go to the digital world because his mother – being overprotective as Daisuke had put it – wanted him to go to the doctor for a check up. He hadn't seemed very happy about going, but then no one enjoyed visiting the doctor. Takeru was mostly worried about the way Daisuke was acting now. All day he'd been in a bitter mood. 

"Uh… I don't know how to put this…" Takeru said. "I… I need you to check in on Dai. He's really rattling me. I'm worried that he's depressed."

"What makes you think that?" Yamato asked, a tad confused.

"Yamato, I've been around you my entire life. I recognize the symptoms," Takeru said flatly.

"Oh, gee, thanks a lot." Yamato sighed. "Fine, I'll go see what's bothering him, but you really owe me for this, you got that?"

Takeru laughed. "Yeah, sure."

--

Yamato had _always_ thought of the Motomiya's door as an ominous one. Every time he visited the apartment, something bad ended out of it. Actually, he'd only been here once, but still… And what if Jun was here? Would she find another way to con him into going on another date with her? _Stupid, depressed Daisuke_. Yamato thought bitterly and raised his hand to knock on the door.

Before he could, though, it opened and Daisuke walked out, nearly bumping into him. Daisuke blinked at him confused and then closed the door before Jun saw. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you're doing. Takeru says you haven't been yourself today," Yamato said, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

Daisuke frowned. "Why didn't he come then?"

"I live closer," Yamato muttered, adding softly, "and I'm better with the whole depressed thing."

"Oh. I'm not depressed, at all. Just a bit… miffed at someone." Daisuke started to walk off to where he'd intended to go before meeting Yamato.

"Is that so?" Yamato asked and pushed off the wall to follow. Daisuke glanced at him with a nod. Yamato waited until they were in the elevator and on their way down before requesting, "May I know whom? Miyako? Takeru?"

"No one you know," Daisuke mumbled. He eagerly stepped out of the elevator and walked away, putting as much distance between himself and Yamato as possible.

Yamato had to jog a little to catch up and keep pace with Daisuke's fast walk. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Listen Yamato," Daisuke said, stopping abruptly and causing him to stumble a little. Daisuke waited for him to regain his balance and composure to continue. "I'm fine. Really. Everyone has his bad day, and this one is mine. Tomorrow everything will be fine, okay?"

As much as Yamato wanted to shake his head and demand more of an answer, he knew it was annoying when people pressed into issues that they had no right to, and he especially had no right because he and Daisuke hardly knew each other, although it still annoyed him somewhat. Brushing a lock of hair from his face, he sighed. "Okay, I get the point, but if you need anything you can get my number from Takeru. Just tell him I gave you permission with a frog and he'll give it to you."

For the first time since he'd run into Yamato that night, Daisuke smiled. "Unlisted to keep the fan girls away?"

"Yeah, something like that," Yamato laughed. "Dad and I don't want them calling in the middle of the night when we're trying to sleep."

"Permission with a frog?" Daisuke asked, thinking back on Yamato's words and raising an eyebrow. He laughed softly and began to walk on, saying over his shoulder, "Never mind. I don't want to know."

Yamato watched Daisuke disappear around the corner with a smile. _He's not so bad. Miyako and Koushiro need to give him a chance. He thought and started his walk home. As he walked his mind started to fill with new theories about Daisuke's personality. He'd always thought Daisuke was just a miniature Taichi, but if he was able to stay upset for an entire day, then there was definitely something deeper about him._

Besides, Daisuke did one thing Taichi could never do: hold an actual conversation.

*  *  *

Yamato was staring through the window of a little shop in the mall. It was the only reason he'd bothered to go where fan girls could spot him easily with Taichi. Of course, his soccer-loving friend was currently browsing the food court for free samples. Yamato decided to spend his time looking for a new guitar. His old one was nearly falling apart – even with duck tape in some places, which screwed the sound up horribly; all the same, the ones he was looking at now weren't that great. As he peered through the large window at the different guitars, another reflection appeared in the glass.

"Hey," Daisuke said, "you might want to run because Jun will be coming out of that shop over there with her friends in about five minutes."

Yamato grinned and looked back at Daisuke. "Thanks for the warning."

"So, are you going to buy a new guitar?" Daisuke walked up beside him to look in the window. His eyes shifted from one to another, none of them being of any interest to him either.

"I want to. If I do, it wont be one of these," Yamato sighed. "Are you into this sort of stuff?"

"I've always wanted to play, but I've never had the time or money to get lessons. Besides, music should come natural to people, and I don't think it comes natural to me," Daisuke said softly, frowning slightly. He looked at Yamato and shrugged. "Besides, everyone says I'd better with percussion anyway."

"I think everyone has musical talent, even people like Taichi, and that's not meant as an insult," Yamato replied. He looked over Daisuke's shoulder at some girls exiting another little shop, one of them being Jun. Quickly he stepped into the guitar shop, motioning for Daisuke to follow him. Once inside and sure that he hadn't been seen, Yamato began to browse the shelves, Daisuke at his side. One particular guitar caught his attention, as it was a soft blue color. He stopped and pointed at it. "What do you think of that one? Match my eyes well?"

Daisuke looked at it and shrugged. "I'm not good with that sort of stuff. If you want someone who can tell you, then bring your brother along next time."

"You can't tell me if it matches my eyes or not?" Yamato said flatly. Daisuke looked at him with a half-smile and walked on down through the rows of guitars without replying. Shaking his head, Yamato muttered under his breath, "I don't want blue anyway. Too cheesy."

Yamato ran his finger lightly down the slick side of a guitar, loving the way it felt under his fingertips. The guitar reminded him of one that he'd first used a while back that had belonged to his uncle. It had been the one that made him want to learn to play. He could even remember staring into its polished surface at his reflection. He moved his hand from the side to touch the strings, barely pushing at them to make a soft noise. He realized Daisuke was standing behind him again, watching him look over the guitar, so he turned around with a smile.

"So Daisuke, you want to play? I can teach you," Yamato said brightly. While at one time the thought of having to spend more than five minutes with Daisuke would have made him groan and throw a fit, yet now the idea of it didn't seem so bad. At least he had humor.

Daisuke frowned at Yamato, startled at first, but breaking into a smile quickly. "I don't think you can handle me, Yamato. I'd drive you up the wall."

"If I can handle Taichi, I can handle you," Yamato snorted.

"Or so you believe. Taichi is a cupcake compared to me!" Daisuke said and flicked Yamato's nose. Yamato pushed his hand away with a halfhearted glare. Laughing, Daisuke turned and started to walk to the front of the shop. When he got there, he turned back to look at Yamato expectantly. "Well, Yamato, are you coming or not? I don't see Jun and her attack club anywhere, so I think the coast is clear."

"Ha, ha," Yamato muttered to himself and moved to trail Daisuke. They stepped into the crowd of people, getting caught in the quick traffic. Somewhere in the back of Yamato's mind, he knew he _should_ be looking for Taichi, but the thought was pushed back several others popping into his head. "Daisuke, if you honestly want to learn to play, I will teach you."

"Why the sudden generosity? I thought you hated me," Daisuke shouted over the buzz of the noisy mall. He easily swerved through the crowd, unlike Yamato who ran into about everyone.

"I don't hate you, and I never have. You used to annoy me, but – sorry," Yamato apologized when hitting yet another person. When he looked back up, Daisuke had disappeared. He stopped walking, causing people to run into him, and looked around, yet saw nothing indicating where his newly found friend had gone.

"Yamato!"

Taichi suddenly appeared beside him. He grabbed Yamato's arm and pulled him towards the side. "You're holding everyone up. Come on, get out of the way." Yamato continued to look for Daisuke, allowing himself to be lead away. Taichi noticed this and looked around, too, trying to see what it was that had Yamato's attention so well. When he saw nothing he turned to Yamato confused. "What are you looking at?"

"Huh?" Yamato glanced at Taichi for a brief instant. "Oh… nothing. Let's go."

They started to leave, Taichi chatting away while Yamato nodded every so often, still searching the throng of people. When they got outside, he felt a shiver dance up his backside; the feeling of being watched. He turned around and looked up. In the window above the doors where the second story was, Daisuke was leaning against the railing, smiling at him through the glass. Yamato smiled back and shook his head.

"How did he do that?"

*  *  *

Takeru tapped his pencil on his desk lightly. History was the most boring class he had. He sighed and leaned back as the instructor droned on about the French revolution. _Why do we have to know that? We don't even live in France_! Usually he sat by the window with Daisuke and stared out it the entire period or passed a note since it wasn't important to listen to the lesson because it was all in the book anyway, but today Kari asked him to sit with her and he agreed – now considering it to be the biggest mistake he'd made the entire day.

"You may work with a partner, but if it gets too loud in here I will take away the privilege." His instructor was passing out the worksheets that they did everyday over each section in each chapter.

Before Kari could stop him, Takeru jumped up and quickly walked to the empty desk in front of Daisuke, sitting in it backwards. His friend glanced at him and smiled knowingly. Daisuke may not turn out as a rocket scientist, but Takeru could definitely see him as an emotional supporter. If there was anything the boy knew about, it was emotions. Across the room, Takeru caught a glimpse of Kari frowning at him. She'd picked up the hint also.

"Did you pay attention to anything he said?" Takeru asked.

"No, did you?" Daisuke replied, opening his book. Takeru shook his head and they shared a mischief grin. Daisuke flipped through the pages and began to scrawl things on his paper. "Are we going to the digital world today?"

Takeru sat back thoughtfully. "We should. Ken could easily take over now that he's there all the time. I don't know how Miyako will take to that, though. I think she wanted to go on that trip to the science museum or something."

"We can leave her behind," Daisuke replied casually, not even looking up from his work.

"Miyako is not that bad if you're on her good side, you know," Takeru laughed.

Daisuke scoffed at the remark. "Too bad I'm never on her good side."

"So, I heard you might take lessons on the guitar from Yamato." Takeru knew better than to let Daisuke dwell on the subject for too long, otherwise he'd end up defending her for the rest of the day. Nothing annoyed Daisuke more than Miyako, to his understanding, that is.

For the first time, Daisuke looked directly at Takeru. "And where did you hear that?"

Takeru grinned. "From Yamato."

"Well, I'm thinking about it," Daisuke said and began to doodle on his paper.

"Thinking about it? You know how many people who would _love_ to get within two feet of him?" Takeru didn't get a response and rolled his eyes. "I didn't know that getting him to talk to you one night would turn you two into such great friends. Before long, I'll have to start hanging out with Taichi!"

That made Daisuke laugh. "I don't think Yamato and I are _that_ good of friends. More like… good acquaintances. However, I need to talk to you about that. My life isn't any of your business, Takeru, and I'd appreciate if you didn't send your brother over to check in on me, but thanks for caring anyway."

"I was worried. You don't normally act like you were that day," Takeru replied with a shrug. He looked at what Daisuke was drawing. "You don't seem to be bothered by Yamato."

"No, not at all. It only bothered me that you thought it necessary to have him look after me, especially how hours before then you'd told me how it bothered you four years ago when he kept trying to look after you when you felt you could yourself," Daisuke explained. He set his pencil down, blew hot air on his thumb to moisten it barely enough so that when he rubbed the graphite on the paper it smeared exactly how he wanted it to. "But no. Yamato doesn't bother me at all."

"That's pretty good, Motomiya-san, but instead of drawing famous rock stars, why don't you try doing your work? This isn't art."

Both boys glanced at their instructor and nodded, picking up their pencils to start working on their history again. Takeru looked across at Daisuke's paper and smiled again. "That is pretty good. And think: if you can do that in less than five minutes, what can you do when you really put your mind to something?"

Daisuke studied his drawing. "The shading is off."

"Ah, you're just nit picking." Takeru took Daisuke's paper from him and looked at carefully. "I think it looks very nice. Anyway, I got C for number two and I can see that you didn't."

Daisuke snatched his paper back. "That's because it's D."

"How do you figure?" Takeru flipped through the pages some more. "I could have sworn it was Italy."

"Look on page 513, the last paragraph. It distinctly says that Haiti is the present day Saint Domingue." Daisuke pointed to the sentence in Takeru's book where it pointed that out. Takeru nodded and erased his answer. Daisuke ran his pencil through his fingers as Takeru changed to D. "Do you think I should take lessons?"

"Hm? For what?" Takeru mumbled, already moving on down the questions.

"The guitar," Daisuke said slowly, sounding irritated.

"Oh yeah… well, sure, I guess, if you want to." Takeru grinned. "I think you two would hit off very quickly. You kind of remind me of each other."

Daisuke snorted. "How so?"

"Well, you both have your dark sides…"

"What? Are we talking about Star Wars or me and Yamato?" Daisuke asked acridly.

"I mean that you two are… _dark_. There's more to you than meets the eye, which," Takeru thumped Daisuke on the forehead with the eraser end of his pencil, "by the way, I think you hide that part of yourself very nicely."

"That part of myself?" Eyes rolled. "You're nuts Takeru."

"Thanks," Takeru chirped. He and Daisuke looked at each other and grinned before turning back to their work. "So, did you get A on number five?"

"No. It's B."

"Oh. How do you figure?" More pages went flying as he looked for the answer. Daisuke pointed to a spot in the book, which he read and changed his answer quickly. "You _are_ going to go to Yamato sometime this week aren't you?"

"Does it really matter when I go?" Daisuke asked confused.

"Yeah… Yamato has a time limit on his memory… It lasts about two weeks, so if you don't hurry up…" Takeru let the sentence drop as he searched for his latest answer, knowing Daisuke didn't need him to go into a large explanation. "D on six?"

"C," Daisuke corrected, of course showing Takeru the exact spot where the answer was found. "If I'm not that important for him to remember, then what makes you think he'll care enough to actually teach me. Besides, I'm getting good on my own. There's no need to bother him."

Takeru sighed. "There _is_ a need to bother him. Yamato _needs_ to be bothered. He has the most boring life for a rock star. You'd think he'd party hardy! But no… He sits at home either working on his music, lyrics, or homework. A on seven?"

"Not, it's C. Look at that paragraph," Daisuke promptly pointed to the aforementioned paragraph. "Maybe that's why he's so good at what he does, and working hard at school is important. If his rock star life doesn't work out, then at least he has an education, you know?"

"Uh huh," Takeru muttered. "I think he's too afraid of getting big in the music business, and since when did you decide school was important?"

Daisuke gave him a flat look. "Since I was born. Just because I get in trouble a lot doesn't mean I make bad grades. Why does everyone always think that? Yamato afraid? I can't see that. He probably likes music as a hobby, and not a career."

"Yeah, yeah. If I looked that good and had that great of a voice, I think I'd be looking more into the career form of singing, not as a hobby. What a waste." Takeru flipped his paper over to do the back questions. He tapped his pencil against the desk and chewed on his lip. "C on ten?"

"Are you jealous of your brother because of his voice and looks? Honestly Takeru, I thought you were higher than that," Daisuke teased. "Did you ever consider that maybe he wanted to be something other than a singer? I know I wouldn't want Jun-like fangirls chasing me for the rest of my life. And it's B. Louis XVI said that. Look under the Death of a King subtitle."

"Ah, I see it." Takeru erased his previous answer with a scowl and circled the new one. "I'm not jealous of Yamato. Well… maybe a little, but you have to understand that it's not fair being the innocent little brother that is expected to be perfect. If Yamato blows up his apartment, everyone will be like 'It's because he's a rock star – they have unbalanced personalities' but if I were to do something like that, I'd probably get shipped off to a nuthouse because I'd 'flipped'. It's not fair."

"Yeah," Daisuke sighed, "You're crazy anyway, Takeru. We've already been planning to ship you off."

"Thanks Daisuke. That makes me feel wonderful," Takeru muttered. He paused to look at his paper. "A on thirteen?"

Daisuke gave him an amused look. "No, it's D."

~~~

The city was huge. Not huge like at his home, but huge in a way that things were bigger. The roads were so large, and yet so empty. No cars, no pedestrians. Absolutely nothing. And of course, it was all in gray. Beautiful shades of gray nonetheless. Some almost as dark as black, others almost as light as white, but still they all held that tint of gray. It was a nice color for his life, and the world about him fit everything he'd ever felt: emptiness.

Daisuke recognized the place he was in; an American city that his family had visited years and years ago. Houston, Texas, to be exact. He remembered the way the buildings looked, their oddly shaped windows and winding roads, somewhat similar to his home, but yet so different it made him uncomfortable. He cautiously walked down the street, very well aware that he was having a dream of some sort, but oddly couldn't wake himself.

Then a flash caught his eye, movement of some sort. He turned to it curiously and was shocked at what was before him. Actually _who_ was before him. Standing on one of the high overpasses was none other than Ichijouji Ken, in his Digimon Emperor outfit. His cape flapped in the breeze as it did in the digital world, only this time Ken's appearance didn't come across as dangerous or threatening in any way. He tilted his head to the side and leaped off the over pass, landing on the ground with a soft tap.

_He looks inviting_…

The thought wisped through Daisuke's mind, and he was surprised when Haiku didn't respond. Even in his dreams did the whispered voice seep. It wasn't with him this time, and that made him feel even more uncomfortable than before. He shifted as Ken began walking towards him, never breaking the eye contact that had established between them. Daisuke stood and waited, not knowing what was going to happen, but curious enough to find out. Ken was only a few feet away, then but a few inches.

He smiled at Daisuke.

~~~

"You can let go of my hand now."

Takeru looked at Daisuke and smirked. "No, that's okay. I'm afraid you'll bolt as soon as the elevator doors open. Besides," he leaned closer to Daisuke and dropped his voice to a sultry whisper, slowly massaging Daisuke's hand in his, "why would I ever want to let go of you?"

"Wha…?" Daisuke leaned away with a shocked expression, but he promptly saw the laughter in Takeru's eyes and scowled. With his free hand he pushed the blonde away from him. "That's not funny. You had me scared for a minute there."

"You know you were loving it," Takeru replied casually and straightened out his jacket that Daisuke messed up when he pushed him. He glanced at Daisuke and then stepped closer, snuggling up to him. "But I _am_ cold…"

"Stop it!" Daisuke whined, squirming away. "What would Kari think if she saw you doing that?"

"She'd probably deck you," Takeru said with a wry grin.

"Whatever," Daisuke muttered, and jerked forward as Takeru moved off the elevator, pulling him along. He shook his hand free of Takeru's again – not without catching the amused look the blonde had – and followed him to Yamato's apartment. "I don't even have a guitar yet, and I _know_ he wont let me touch his."

"Then you two can get to know each other better today," Takeru said offhandedly.

"Honestly, Takeru," Daisuke sighed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to set me up with your brother, especially how you're acting today."

"I'm doing no such thing!" Takeru disputed. He gave Daisuke a sly grin. "Although…"

"The way you say that you make it sound as if I had a crush on him," Daisuke grumbled.

Takeru's mouth drop open. "You have a crush on my brother? I knew it!"

"What? No! I didn't say that!" Daisuke spluttered. "You're assuming things again!"

"You might not have said it, but I heard that longing tone!" Takeru shouted over Daisuke's protests. "Don't even _try_ to deny it! It was soooo implied!"

"It was not!"

"Was to!"

Daisuke huffed and looked away. "I'm not even that _way_, Takeru."

"Sure you're not," Takeru snorted. "You just have a crush on my brother. I wouldn't be surprised it if you liked the Kaiser." Daisuke fidgeted and didn't answer, making Takeru's eyes widen and mouth drop again. "YOU DO??!!"

"I thought you said you wouldn't be surprised," Daisuke muttered.

"I'm not surprised! I'm shocked senseless! You honestly like Ken?" Takeru squeaked. Daisuke refused to meet his eyes, finding the cracks in the concrete walk to be much, much more interesting than anything his friend had to say. Takeru's horrified expression turned to an evil smirk. "So you _are_ that _way_, which means it is possible for you to like Yamato."

"You're a brat, you know that?" Daisuke spat coldly.

Takeru laughed and knocked on the apartment door that they were now standing in front of. "I can't believe my best friend has got it bad for my brother. This is too good. You know, you and Yamato would be a cute little couple. I might have to set the two of you up."

"Don't even think about it!"

The door opened before either could say more and a very rumpled looking Yamato stood in the doorway. He smiled at his brother and friend before letting them inside. As they walked past, Takeru leaned over to Daisuke and whispered, "You like the dark, crazy ones, eh?" only to receive a sharp jab to the stomach as Daisuke elbowed him to shut up. Yamato didn't notice any of this, or if he did, he didn't mention anything.

"Are you staying Take?" Yamato asked.

"No, I have to be at Kari's in a little while. I'll only stay for about five minutes," Takeru replied, finally shifting his laughing gaze from the red-faced Daisuke.

"You're not staying!?" Daisuke exclaimed, bouncing a bit nervously.

"Of course I'm not. Why would I?" Takeru asked, acting innocent. Daisuke glared at him for a moment before looking away. Takeru smiled and leaned forward to whisper loud enough for Daisuke to hear, but not loud enough for Yamato. "Do you like me, too, Dais?"

Daisuke shoved him away. "Stop it."

"What do you have in mind to do today, Yamato?" Takeru asked, for once letting Daisuke be at peace.

"Well, _actually_, I didn't know you two were going to be here so early. I was about to take a shower…" Yamato said. He looked at Daisuke. "Can you wait a few minutes?"

"Yeah, sure," Daisuke muttered.

"Okay, thanks." Yamato disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.

"I need to be off if I want to stop by Miyako's and then hit Kari's in time," Takeru said glancing at his watch. He gave Daisuke another mischief smile. "Don't sneak looks at my brother, you got that?"

"I hate you," Daisuke growled. "I would never do anything like that."

Takeru rolled his eyes. "Sure you wouldn't. Anyway, I'm off. See you tomorrow?"

Daisuke shrugged. "Yeah, whatever."

He was once more graced with another one of Takeru's smiles; only this time Takeru leaned forward and brushed his lips across Daisuke's in a short but tender kiss before leaving the apartment, and leaving Daisuke to stand in shock. By the time Daisuke blinked away the daze, Takeru was already far enough away that it would be pointless to call him back. He lifted his hand to his mouth, still getting used to the tingly warm feeling spreading throughout his body.

"That was… _odd_," he whispered to himself.

After a few more minutes of standing in the same place trying to clear his muddled thoughts, Daisuke finally moved to look about the apartment. He'd been to the Ishida's before with Takeru and knew basically where everything was, so he drifted his way to Yamato's room, remembering that it had been somewhat cleaner than that of the kitchen and hallway.

He walked to the room and pushed the door open. Sure enough the bedroom was spotless, everything in its place, including Yamato's guitar case which was positioned perfectly against Yamato's desk. Daisuke strolled over to it, picked it up, and laid it gently on the bed. He snapped the locks and opened it, revealing Yamato's old guitar with its scrapes and faded colors. Daisuke slid it from the case and into his lap. Yamato was obviously right handed as the strap was on the one side that Daisuke couldn't use it since he was left handed.

A soft noise filled the room as Daisuke ran his fingers over the metal strings. He continued to play a few notes before he noticed the music lying on Yamato's bedside table. He paused to pull them closer. The rhythm was slow at the beginning but picked up very quickly. Daisuke started to play it, racking his memory for the notes, as it had been a while since he'd played. He played softly at first, but figured Yamato would hear anyway and simply let his fingers flow across the strings. It wasn't too long before Yamato was standing in the doorway staring at him. He knew this but didn't bother to look up until he finished the song.

"I'm sorry for touching your guitar, Ishida-san," Daisuke said softly and set the guitar back in its case.

"What?" Yamato gawked. "I thought you said you wanted to learn how to play!"

"No, I already knew. I said I didn't have the _time_ or _money_ to play," Daisuke corrected, giving Yamato a half smile. "Really, Ishida, you're as out of it as Takeru. Did you know he has no concept of French history?"

Yamato rolled his eyes and walked to the bed. He shut his guitar case and locked it, placing it back in its corner. He turned around to Daisuke and clasped his hands together. "Never. Touch. My. Guitar. Again. I don't care how good you are. You lay a finger on it and I'll break every bone in your body, you got that?"

"Right, right. I understand. I'm sorry for touching your guitar," Daisuke repeated, his smile brightening just a tad bit.

Yamato smiled back and sat down beside him on the bed. "So… why doesn't Takeru have any concept of French history?"

~~~

Needles of fear ran across Daisuke's body like a million spiders crawling all over him. He wanted to move, to wake up from this horrid dream, yet he was frozen. He couldn't even blink, and all the while he had the odd feeling he was going to die. Moreover his feet were burning now, as if the flames of hell were licking the bottoms of his shoes. So he was frozen, but on fire at the same time, and there was no one to save him from this, not even the annoying voice in his mind.

There was something about Ken's smile that was not right. In spite of that, it wasn't something bad, or frightening even. It just wasn't right. Perhaps because it was soft and kind, instead of an evil smirk that usually graced the young Kaiser's face. Even at that, it wouldn't fit him. Even if Ken were an angel the sweetness of the smile wouldn't have looked right, and at the moment it was driving Daisuke mad.

Then, before Daisuke could do a thing, not that he would have been able to if he wanted, Ken reached out and pulled him nearer, kissing him softly. Daisuke couldn't resist closing his eyes. He wanted to respond to this, wanted to return the softness that was flowing through him and easing his nerves, but he couldn't. The flames at his feet died away and were replaced by the feeling of not standing on solid ground, but _air_.

Finally Daisuke had complete control over his body again and he jerked away from Ken, not because the kiss was disturbing him, but because he wanted to see if he was still on the ground. Indeed he was, and he looked back up at Ken to apologize for being so rude, except Ken wasn't there. Standing where Ken had been only moments before was Yamato. He looked at Daisuke's confused expression and laughed richly, only his voice was swept away with the wind so that it was an echo coursing through the empty streets of the city around them.

Yamato leaned in, pressing his forehead against Daisuke's, and smiled the same smile Ken had, only it seemed more realistic and perfect. He moved his mouth, although no sound came out. Daisuke, confused once more, stepped back as he was beginning to feel terrified all over again. Yamato tilted his head to the side, now looking much like Daisuke had with a confused expression. However, Daisuke continued to back away, trying to put as much distance between him and Yamato as possible.

That's when he saw Takeru sitting against the railing of the highway, looking down at him.

~~~

"You're doing it again."

Daisuke looked across the kitchen table at his sister. "What do you mean?"

"You're tapping on the table, and it's about to make me go insane!" Jun snapped. She pointed at Daisuke's hand resting on the table with her spoon. "Stop it, please. I can't take that noise anymore."

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry," Daisuke apologized. He removed his hand from the table and placed it in his lap. His thoughts were too busy swirling around his dream to think about what he was doing to bother Jun. He didn't want to be rude to her, but he didn't really want to be disturbed, but then, he was disturbing her.

"Dai-chan?" Jun said softly, noticing the flickering emotions across her brother's face. He glanced at her, his eyes showing the plain irritation, but smiling nonetheless in an attempt to be polite.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I hate to disrupt whatever it is that you are thinking about," she started with a slight hesitation, "but is there something wrong? You look… ill almost. You feeling all right?"

Daisuke blinked at her, a complete blank stare, for a moment before mumbling, "Yeah, I'm fine," and getting up from the table. Normally he'd be eating his breakfast like Jun, but his appetite had suddenly disappeared. It took him a moment to realize that Jun had snatched his wrist as he tried to walk past and pulled him back. This time he didn't bother trying to hide his irritation and jerked his hand away. "What?"

Jun was taken a bit back by the tone he'd used. Her usually perky brother simply wasn't right. "Daisuke, I know when you're lying. I've lived with you your entire life, okay? Now tell me what's wrong!"

Another moment's pause went by as Daisuke filtered her words through his mind. He shrugged. "Nothing. I feel fine."

"Where did you go yesterday?" Jun asked.

Daisuke squinted his eyes at her in uncertainty. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, after school yesterday, where did you go?" she asked again, saying it slower, not because she was getting impatient and starting to be rude, but because she honestly was starting to believe Daisuke wasn't hearing a word she was saying.

"…I went to Takeru's," Daisuke lied. He didn't think his sister would get all squealy if he mentioned going to Yamato's, but he'd rather not risk that option. "Why?"

"Did you and him have a fight?"

Daisuke gave her a long look. "No…"

"Then what's up? I know there's something you're not telling me!" Jun whined. She pushed her chair back and stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "Come on, Dai, you can tell me. I'm your sister! You usually tell me everything! Is Haiku? Did he say something that bothered you?"

"No, I just…" Daisuke hesitated. He was finally hit with the urge to tell Jun everything, like he usually did, but something about this once made him not want to. "No. Haiku didn't say a thing. Takeru and I _did_ get in a fight, and it was over something stupid and I'm afraid that if we fight over things like _that_, then our friendship won't last long. We only just became friends, you know."

Jun sighed and pulled Daisuke into a hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Daisuke. You really had me worried. And don't worry about Takeru. You two will make up, I know you will. Everyone gets in fights from time to time with their friends over little things. Tell him you're sorry if he's still upset about it and go on with your happy way. Feel better?"

Daisuke faked a smile. "Yeah. Thanks Jun."

_If only things were that simple_…

--

"Hey Daisuke, you feeling okay?"

Daisuke growled at the comment that had been made several times already that day. He shot Takeru a more than annoyed look, wincing slightly afterwards when he noticed the hurt on Takeru's face. "I'm sorry. I've been asked that all day and it's starting to get old."

"It's okay. I understand," Takeru said softly. He placed an arm around Daisuke's shoulders and gave them a light shake. Daisuke looked at him and smiled faintly, not at all making him think there was nothing wrong. However, Takeru was not a fool and knew when to leave people be with their problems. As an alternative, he tried to hit a happier note. "How did your afternoon with Yamato go?"

"It was… fine, I suppose," Daisuke shrugged. "I got mess with his guitar before he got out of the shower, which, of course, he told me to never touch again, but I already knew that. I was just bored since you left me all alone with someone I've only started really talking to a couple weeks ago when you decided it'd be good if he _checked up_ on me."

Takeru grinned. "You loved being alone with him, admit it. It was like floating on air."

Daisuke stopped walking abruptly at the comment. He stared at Takeru icily, making him shift uneasily. "What did you say?"

"I wasn't serious, Daisuke. It was a joke," Takeru replied hesitantly. "I'm sorry. I'll stop teasing you about Yamato."

"No, not that. The air comment," Daisuke snapped. "Where'd you get it?"

Takeru's face twisted in confusion. "What? Floating on air?"

"Yes!"

"Well, ever watched Bambi?"

Daisuke stared at Takeru blankly, much like he done to his sister earlier in the day. Silence rested between the two of them, making Takeru again shift uneasily. Finally Daisuke shook his head and started to walk again. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm feeling really out of it today. Are we going to your house or mine?"

"Whichever is more convenient," Takeru said slowly, falling back in step with Daisuke.

_Convenient! Ha! Like anything is convenient for me. **The fact that you hide yours thoughts from me is convenient, on**_** your _end anyway_**_. How did you find out that I did that?_ **_Your sister said she could tell you were this morning at breakfast and yet I remember you not thinking at all. And it is because you are trying to hide your thoughts from me that the Council wishes to speak to you this afternoon. Right now, actually._**_ What? I can't go right now! I've got schoolwork to do! **Daisuke, are you going to tell your mother to bring you or must we call her**? You'd better call her because I'm not saying a thing!_

"Your house," Daisuke concluded. "I like your house a lot more than I like mine. In fact, let's go faster. I'm getting hungry."

Daisuke grabbed Takeru's wrist and took off down the sidewalk at a run, dragging Takeru behind him. He couldn't see the Council right now. They bothered him enough already and if he had to talk to them now, he'd go insane. He couldn't stand what they were doing to him. This wasn't right. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair. Thoughts were the only thing a person had that was his and his alone, and the Council had taken that away once. Now they wanted to take it away again? He wouldn't let them.

"Daisuke! Slow down! You're hurting me!" Takeru cried as he stumbled along. When he got no reply, he cried out in pain and tried to pull his wrist free of Daisuke's grip. "DAISUKE!"

This time Daisuke heard the painful shout and he slowed down almost immediately. Takeru managed to wrench his hand free and cradled his wrist close to his chest. He looked at Daisuke in shock as a bruise was already starting to form.

"I'm sorry Takeru," Daisuke gasped. "I… I wasn't thinking…"

"That's it! I don't care if you've heard this all day, but tell me what's wrong!" Takeru demanded, anger quickly taking over his pain.

"Can we talk about this when we get to your house?" Daisuke whispered, glancing in all directions. Takeru started to say no, but he was quickly cut off. "Please, Takeru! Please. I have to get to your house now. Please? I'm sorry for hurting you. I really am. I'm just so scared."

Takeru could see that Daisuke was visibly shaking, as well as constantly looking over his shoulder and every other place as if any moment someone was going to jump out and steal him away. This worried him a lot since he knew Daisuke wasn't the type to be paranoid about things. He reached out to Daisuke, wincing as his wrist screamed at him. "Don't be scared, Dai. Come on, let's go before… Let's go."

He hadn't known what they needed to go before, although he knew Daisuke was going to explain everything to him so he could wait. They walked hurriedly towards Takeru's home. When they came around the last corner to his apartment complex, the first thing the both of them noticed was Daisuke's father's car. Daisuke instantly jumped back around the corner, jerking Takeru with back with him.

"Is there any way else to get up to your apartment?" he asked quietly.

Takeru shook his head. "No. Not one that I know of."

"Then this is what I need you to do for me…"

--

Takeru stepped back around the corner, whistling and swinging his bag around, basically looking as cheerful as he possibly could, and, being the person he was, that wasn't hard to do. He went straight to the elevator and pressed the 'Up' button. The elevator was already coming down and when the doors opened, Jun and Mrs. Motomiya stood inside. They looked at Takeru, then at each other, and then raced out to him.

"Takeru, dear, I know this may sound odd, but have you seen Daisuke recently?" Mrs. Motomiya asked, sounding so worried that Takeru was tempted to tell her the truth.

"Not since school left out. He went off with a few of his soccer friends to practice since we're only working on basketball now," he lied. Mrs. Motomiya's face took a sharp plunge and she looked like she was about to burst into tears. "I'm sorry I can't help you. Is something wrong?"

"Mom, go to the car," Jun whispered, ushering her mother away. Once the older woman was out of hearing range she turned to Takeru with an evil glare. "I know you know where he is. Tell me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Takeru protested, and started to become very nervous under the intense glare.

"You do to," she snarled, her voice dangerously low. "Tell. Me. Now."

"Listen, Jun, if you're going to stand here and accuse me of something that I have no idea of, then I'm not going to stay. I have better things to be doing than to argue with you," Takeru answered in a voice that equaled hers. He shoved her out of his way and stepped into the elevator. He pressed the button to his floor and looked up as the elevator doors were closing. Jun was still glaring at him murderously, and as soon as the doors closed and the elevator was moving up, he gave a large sigh of relief. "The things you get me into Daisuke."

--

A soft creak of the door made Takeru sit up straight. He hadn't been able to sleep at all even though Daisuke had told him to, so he was wide-awake when his friend walked into the room. He'd given Daisuke his apartment key so he could come in later that night. Glancing at the clock, Takeru was surprised to see that it was nearly 2 AM. Daisuke set the key on Takeru's desk, having not seen that Takeru was awake yet and turned around. He jumped when their eyes met in the dark.

"I told you to get some sleep," Daisuke whispered harshly. "You'll be really tired tomorrow."

"I couldn't sleep. I've been really worried about you. What took so long?" Takeru asked. He was expecting Daisuke to come in maybe an hour or so after his parents and Jun left and he was sure they weren't watching. It had been ten hours since he'd last seen Daisuke.

"They didn't leave until an hour ago, but I wanted to make sure they weren't coming back before I came up." Daisuke sat on the bed beside him, now getting a full view of the dark rings under his eyes and feeling bad given that he knew it was his fault they were there.

"They? As in your mom and Jun?" Takeru looked slightly confused, and his sleepiness wasn't helping much.

Daisuke hesitated. "No… not them…"

"Then who?"

Daisuke shook his head. "Don't think about it now. I'll explain tomorrow when you're not so tired you can barely keep your eyes open. Oh, do you mind if I crash here tomorrow while you're at school?"

"Only if you promise to explain all this to me," Takeru whispered with a yawn and lay down on the bed, tucking his hands under his head.

"I will."

Takeru studied Daisuke for brief moment. "Do you want any night clothes to sleep in?"

"Only if you don't want me sleeping in your bed with my dirty clothes on," Daisuke responded, looking down at his shirt and shorts.

"Well, actually, I was hoping you'd sleep in nothing if you didn't want any night clothes," Takeru smirked.

"Ha, ha. He's that tired and can still make jokes," Daisuke mumbled. He gave Takeru a mock glare. "May I have some night clothes, please?"

"Your wish is my command." Takeru sat up slowly and slid off the bed. He walked to his dresser and pulled out a baggy T-shirt and some pajama pants and tossed them to Daisuke. As Daisuke stood up to change, he slipped back under the warmth of his blankets and curled up with his back to Daisuke. "There's a sleeping bag in my closet somewhere if you want to find it. If you don't, then you can sleep in the bed with me, but you had better _not_ _steal_ my blankets."

*  *  *

Daisuke was still asleep when Takeru left for school in the morning, and he left before Takeru could get home. He knew this was going to frustrate his best friend, since he'd promised to tell everything, but how do you explain something like that? _Well, you see, there's this guy inside my mind that is kind of like a conscience only he also keeps track of everything I do and when I do something wrong he puts me in front of these six doctors that analyze me to the core_. Yeah, that would run real nicely. Takeru would think he'd gone insane, or say he wasn't telling the truth.

Besides, his mother would still be crying and Jun would be threatening every person that passed her. His father, on the other hand, would be sitting on the couch, reading a paper perhaps. Then of course when Daisuke finally got home, his mother would demand that his father do something to punish him, and he would take Daisuke to his room and start screaming a bunch of nonsense while Daisuke took a nap on the bed for about thirty minutes to satisfy his wife. Jun knew all this was false, however, since she too went under this 'punishment' before and later that night she'd come into his room scolding him and demanding an explanation.

**_Daisuke_**.

Stopping on the sidewalk, Daisuke looked around. _I thought you'd show up sooner or later. So, are you watching me now? **No, I have no idea where you are**. Pity. I'm having a wonderful walk under the moonlight_. It was midday at this time, but the building Daisuke was walking past had moons and stars painted on the bricks and he figured a subtle hint wouldn't hurt. _And what do you want, my dear friend? **Don't fool with me, Daisuke. You are in a lot of trouble**. I always am. **Not like this time. First you keep your thoughts from me**- Even though they are_ my _thoughts. **You're wrong. They aren't yours**. And why not? You don't own me like some dog! I am a human and I deserve to be treated as such! **No one else has this problem**. Then I'm not like them, now am I?_

People brushed past Daisuke and glared at him for standing in the middle of the sidewalk. He moved over and leaned against the painted bricks. Haiku would be around sooner or later, or at least some men from the Revision since Haiku never showed his face. It made Daisuke wonder, and at the same time it angered him. Why was the one person he wanted to meet more than everything always kept from him? Or perhaps he had met Haiku, only under a different name. What if he saw Haiku every day and didn't even realize it?

**_Are you listening to me_**? Daisuke snapped from his private thoughts and went back to Haiku. _No, I wasn't. **You were thinking**? As always. **You can't do that Daisuke**! I can do what I want. If I remember correct, weren't you naming off a list of things I did wrong? **Yes, I was. First, you are thinking separately**- Which is not wrong at all. **Secondly, you didn't come yesterday when you were told to**. Cry me a river. **Don't be a smart ass. Third, you were gone for the whole night without telling anyone where you were**. I told someone where I was. Someone I could trust. **Who might that be**? Like I'm going to tell you so you can go corrupt him and turn him on me, too. Don't even think about it. Oh! I made a pun!_

Daisuke snickered at the stupid joke. He quickly wiped the smile from his face when he noticed the typical black van that belonged to the Revision. He sighed and began walking towards it. The side door opened and a man stepped out, a man that Daisuke was becoming all too familiar with, but when he saw Daisuke he patiently stood and waited. He gave Daisuke a slight smile, trying to hide it from his coworkers. Daisuke didn't mind this guy so much. He'd most likely laugh at how Daisuke evaded the Revision.

"Motomiya, what are we going to do with you?" he asked, partial humor seeping into his voice.

"Hello Kiyoshi. We're getting to be real friends aren't we?" Daisuke replied as he entered the van, placing himself in the middle between a man he didn't know and Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi merely smiled and motioned for the driver to go. It was silent in the van all the way to the Revision Center, and when they did arrive, there were a few people waiting for them with needles, no doubt full of some sort of numbing substance to keep Daisuke from struggling, not that he was. He hoped they didn't give it to him anyway because it always made him feel helpless. Kiyoshi opened the van door as they came to a stop and got out, waving his hand to indicate that nothing was needed to keep Daisuke in line.

They still escorted him like a criminal up the steps and down the halls into the room where the Council would be waiting for him. He was pushed inside and the door locked behind him. Giving a fixed glare at the door he walked to the stool in the middle of the room where he sat with a sigh. The doctors whispered amongst each other like they did all the time and wrote a few things onto their paper that they had 'received' from that sigh. _Honestly, I could pass gas and they'd say it had some meaning as to my mood and personality at the moment. Let me guess, SBD's must mean I'm depressed. **Daisuke**_…

One of the doctors cleared his throat. "Motomiya Daisuke, are you aware of the exact extent of the problems you've caused?"

"Am I aware, or do I care?" Daisuke snapped. He rolled his eyes as startled gasps went through them and there was more scribbling on paper.

"Where exactly is this… _bitter_ attitude coming from?" another doctor asked.

"Hm, let's see. The fact that I can't have a life and that everything I do is analyzed kind of annoys me. The fact that I can't have my own personal thoughts without someone listening kind of annoys me. The fact that the six of think you know everything really annoys me. Tell me something, is my _bitter_ attitude a sign of depression or is it simply that I'm tired of not being able to live?" Daisuke asked.

For once, it seemed that he'd shocked them into silence, maybe even given them some sense. This hope lasted only a minute though as they instantly went back to whispering and scribbling. With another sigh, Daisuke stared at his hands. Sometimes these sessions with the Council lasted hours. Other times they were only a few minutes. He could tell this was going to be a long session.

*  *  *

"The green lids should be taken every two hours. The yellow lids every three hours. The white ones every hour on the hour, and the one light blue one is whenever he gets a headache. Here's his watch that has a green, yellow, and white light that will go off when it needs to just so he doesn't miss his schedule. Of course he'll have to memorize the order…"

Daisuke was only half listening to the nurse speaking with his mother. He was tying to stay awake so he could hear everything that went on around him, but as soon as he'd left the Council four hours after he'd gone in the room, several other doctors forced him down and gave him about three different shots. He didn't struggle through any of this, but they still felt the need to be brutal in order to make them feel they were still in charge, or so Daisuke guessed.

At the moment, his vision was blurring with every minute, and his arms and legs felt extremely weak, so much that his mother had to help him from the chair and out to the car. And he couldn't speak; no matter how hard he tried. His mouth wasn't dry and he could move his tongue and jaw just fine, but every time he tried to make a noise, nothing came out – or his hearing was gone. It bothered him, but the more he tried to think about it, the bigger the headache he got.

He didn't remember most of the ride home, or how he got inside, or that night, or the next, or it's night. All he knew was he woke up two days after he lost conscious thought, and still had a horrible headache. The beeping noise wasn't helping either. He groaned and looked around his bright room for where the origin of this noise came from. He could see something blinking on his desk, but he still felt horribly weak and he could only move his fingers a bit, as the rest of his body was numb.

A moment later his bedroom door opened and Jun walked in. She turned off the beeping noise and messed with something before turning to him. Upon seeing his woken state, she smiled gently and softly sat on the edge of his bed.

"Are you really awake this time?" she asked.

Daisuke gave her a confused look and managed to mumble words that sounded like, "What do you mean?"

"Then you are. The other Daisuke had a glossy look in his eyes and didn't talk back," Jun said, and, luckily for Daisuke, softly since he knew any noise louder would seriously hurt his head. Jun smoothed his hair, and it was then he realized he was sweating, but felt horribly cold. Noticing the look of revelation mixed with bewilderment on Daisuke's face, Jun explained. "You're a little sick because of the new dosage of medicine and because of what they gave you at the Revision Center."

Daisuke groaned again. "I hate them."

"You brought this upon yourself, Daisuke," Jun sighed. She shook her head sadly and opened her hand, revealing a pill in the middle of her palm. "Here, take this."

"What is it?" Daisuke muttered.

"One of your new prescriptions." Jun gave a soft, short laugh. "You'd think the Revision Center would hire smarter people than they do. The lady gave you three different medications and in order to tell them apart, you have to know what color they are." Daisuke gave a sound of disgust. "Yeah, I know. I labeled them first, second, and third, corresponding with the lights on a watch they gave you. Now open it; time to take your medicine."

As much as Daisuke didn't want to, he knew better than to fight against Jun, especially when he was so weak. After taking the pill, Jun left again, leaving him to rest some more. Daisuke closed his eyes, and after a few fleeting thoughts, he was out once more, letting the dream world whisk him off and take him from the pain that reality caused.

*  *  *

THE END!!!

…For chapter one anyway. The next chapter will have a little more romance in it. Hmm… now here's the hard part… Takedai or Yamasuke? It was intended to turn into a Yamasuke, but I have really been on a Takedai high lately. Maybe since I'm making my other fic Daikeru I'll make this one Yamasuke… I'm not sure yet. Here's the thing: If it's Yamasuke/Daito there will be pain and suffering. If it's Takedai/Daikeru there will be pain and suffering. What to do, oh, what to do?


	2. So This is Goodbye

**Important**: I have got to be the slowest writer known to man! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this out. In fact, some of you might want to go re read/scan the first chapter in case you've forgotten anything. So sorry!

-

-

_Never seen a blue sky_

_Yeah I can feel it reaching out_
    
    _And moving closer_

_There's something about blue_

Daisuke was still cold when he woke again. His headache was mostly gone, a sort of numb pain, but the same beeping noise that he'd woken to before was bound to give him another headache. With a groan, he sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. He wasn't in his bedroom anymore, in Jun's instead. It was much darker, not having a window.

The watch continued to beep on the nightstand right beside him. He grabbed it, noticing how his hand felt like it was being weighed down. The second and third lights were blinking. He looked back at the nightstand to see his usual three bottles of medicine now accompanied by four more. Those doctors seemed to love filling him with nothing but pills. Didn't they consider the possibilities of him going crazy and overdosing?

Jun walked in the room at that moment, startling when she saw Daisuke sitting up, but smiling, too. She took the watch from Daisuke's hands, pressing a button on the side to turn it off. "I'm glad you're awake. Takeru has been calling every day for the past week. He's even been by a couple times."

Daisuke felt his stomach lurch. "T-Takeru? Does he…"

"He only thinks you're sick with pneumonia," Jun assured him. She took the lids off two of the bottles and dropped a couple of pills in her hands. "Mom told him that you wanted to go to a concert, and didn't want to have to stay home because you were sick and that's why you were acting too weird that night. Which, by the way, I _knew_ you were at his house, or at least going to it."

"How?" Daisuke asked, taking the pills when she offered them.

"You're best friends…" Jun took an empty glass off the nightstand and went to get him some water, pausing to stick her head back in to say, "If not something more…"

Daisuke's eyes widened, and he stumbled over a protest, hearing Jun laugh in the kitchen. "What's that supposed to mean?" he shouted, hoping she'd hear and wincing slightly when a sting shot through his head. He was about to shout more, but she walked back in, glass of water in hand. He took it and tossed the pills into his mouth.

"It's supposed to mean what it sounds like. You and Takeru _do_ spend an awful lot of time together," Jun teased, poking Daisuke in the side. "And he's worried. It's so cute!"

"It's not cute," Daisuke mumbled before tossing the other pills into his mouth and drinking them down. "There's nothing like that between me and Takeru. We're best friends, and _that's all_."

Jun rolled her eyes. "Takeru and I. And yeah, like I believe that."

"You and Naomi are always together!" Daisuke retorted, folding his arms and looking proud about his deduction.

"We're _girls_. We're expected to always be together," Jun answered with a smirk. She nearly laughed when Daisuke blushed and finally broke eye contact. "Come on, Dais, admit it. There's something more than friendship between you two."

Daisuke messed with the pink fringe on Jun's blanket. "No, there's not. We _are_ just friends. Takeru isn't even _that way_." He snapped his head up to look at her and added quickly, "And, before you ask or accuse, yes I am gay. It's not that big of a deal."

Jun smiled and took the glass from him. "I know it's not. I always had the feeling you were when you used to play dress up with me, and stare at my photos of famous guys for lengthy amounts of time. However, gay or not, you need to be asleep. Mom says you still have a few days in bed before you can go back to school."

~~~

His shoes made no sound as he walked down the concrete road, hands neatly placed at his sides. Everything was completely silent. Even when the wind scattered dry leaves in front of him there was no sound. He stepped on a few, still expecting to hear their crunch, yet only feeling it under his shoe. The sun was not shining, but he wore sunglasses, causing an eerie shadow over the already gray world.

Takeru was still sitting up ahead, waiting patiently for him as he approached. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten on the overpass, but Takeru was there, leaning against the railing. As Daisuke tilted his head to the side, looking down on the twisting roads below, he could see Yamato, and farther yet was Ken, sitting on a bench that was oddly placed right in the middle of it all, the roads curving around it.

Ken held his whip in his hand, but his Digimon Emperor outfit had disappeared and now he sat with a dark coat over him. His hair slid down, blocking his face from Daisuke's view, and his arms wrapped tighter around his body, like he was trying to protect himself.

Daisuke shook his head and looked away, re-focusing on Takeru. He needn't worry about Ken just yet. There would be time, hopefully, for that later. Besides, had he wanted to go to Ken, he couldn't. Something was pulling him to Takeru, something stronger than he. Daisuke was on autopilot, letting whatever it was draw him nearer. Takeru was his friend; there was nothing for him to be afraid of.

Upon this thought, Takeru pulled his legs beneath him, standing up to face the approaching person. Daisuke gasped, but his breath was stolen away in the wind, the sound fading before it had a chance to become known. Takeru was different, and not simply in the way he dressed, which made him look very different compared to normal. No, Takeru's clothes hardly startled Daisuke.

It was his eyes.

~~~

"I heard you on the wireless back in '52…"

Daisuke groaned and rolled over. The eighties radio channel was definitely not one he wanted his alarm set to.

"…but that didn't stop-"

The music cut off sharply as Daisuke slammed his hand onto the snooze button. He rubbed his eyes and sat up; he had managed to adjust to all his new medicine, but the stuff still made him quite dizzy at times. It took him a good while to slide out of the bed without falling over. The alarm went off again, now on another song, and he went ahead and switched it off completely. A few days earlier he'd been moved back to his room, his mother thinking that the sunlight would do good now instead of bad.

"Daisuke?"

That would be Jun, making sure that he was getting up. Today would be his first day back to school in two weeks, and to be frank, he was afraid. Takeru had come by the day before, saying he'd be waiting at the usual spot. It had been the first time Daisuke really saw Takeru since what he designated as 'That Night' and it'd been great to see his best friend again, though Jun smirking in the doorway the whole time made him nervous and jumpy.

"I'm up," Daisuke called, somewhat weakly, back. His eyes scanned the room, finding that everything appeared blurred. He rubbed his eyes again, growing agitated when nothing cleared up. "Jun!"

Despite the urgent call, Jun still knocked on the door to announce her presence before walking in. She peeked inside, smiling a bit as she watched Daisuke rub his eyes over and over again. "Yes, oh mighty one?"

"Why can't I see?" Daisuke demanded. He was getting frantic now. Of all the days for him to have problems…

"You can't see? At all?"

"No… it's just so blurry… Why?"

"I'm not sure. It couldn't be the medicine. It would have been a problem before now," Jun replied, her smile fading. "Get some eye drops out of the bathroom cabinet and see if that clears it up, no pun intended."

"Okay…" Daisuke held an arm out in front of him. "Can you direct me there?"

"Sure," Jun laughed and took his hand. "Come on, my blind brother."

Daisuke stumbled a bit as she pulled him into the bathroom. She asked him to tilt his head back and dripped the eye drops in. It didn't take many blinks before his vision cleared up again, and Jun ushered him back to his room to get dressed. Big sisters could definitely be helpful at times. He'd been wondering the night before about Ken, and how bad things had gotten in the digital world without him. The others were capable of doing things on their own, but Ken would take the advantage of one team member being gone.

Jun was buttering her toast when Daisuke staggered into the kitchen still sleepy. "Hungry?"

A smile spread across his face. "Yeah."

The morning was a constant jibber-jabber as Jun talked about the latest gossip at the high school while Daisuke sat thinking about the digital world. He was happy that Jun was still being nice enough to make him toast and butter it, because, quite honestly, he was kind of far out in his thoughts and would have burned himself on the toaster.

Daisuke was skipping out the front door when he heard Jun yell to him, "Oh! And you've been sick with _pneumonia_, okay?"

"Right!" he yelled back and dashed out of the apartment.

As the clock neared seven, Daisuke skipped down the stairs. Normally he'd take the elevator, but he'd been lying down for the past couple week and it felt nice to stretch his legs. He didn't bother to wait for Jun. Whereas she was a loving big sister in private, she hated being seen with her kid brother in public, and Daisuke didn't mind respecting her wishes every now and then, especially when she'd been doing his school work while he was sick.

The sun was hiding behind dark clouds that threatened rain, but Daisuke's mood wasn't altered in the slightest. He rather liked the way the cold wind blew and the sky continued to darken instead of brighten. It had to have rained when Daisuke was asleep. He could remember hearing the sound of the droplets hitting the window, but couldn't open his eyes to see it. Story of his life: not being able to see.

Hikari was reading a book when Daisuke came up behind her. They lived only a block from each other and always walked to school together. It wasn't until recently that Takeru started going out of his way to meet them. He left earlier than Miyako and Iori and was often waiting at the school for someone to show up, so he decided to start meeting Daisuke and Hikari halfway.

"Hey Hikari," Daisuke chirped.

She glanced at him briefly, smiling but her eyes attached to the words on the pages of the book. "Daisuke! I'm glad to see you again. We were really worried."

"_We_? You mean Miyako actually cared there was something wrong with me?" Daisuke asked crisply. Hikari didn't reply, not that he expected her to, so he continued on as they started down the sidewalk. "What do you mean _see_? You're stuck to that book."

"This book happens to be very good," Hikari shot back playfully. She closed the book nonetheless and stuffed it inside her bag. "I can't read with you talking to me anyway. So, I heard Jun was doing your homework. I guess this means we need to have a study night so you can catch up, sick one."

"Ha, ha. How did you know she was doing my…" Daisuke drifted off with a frown. "Takeru isn't one much for keeping secrets, is he?"

Hikari gave a short laugh. "Not _those_ kinds of secrets."

"What do you mean '_those'_ kinds of secrets? A secret is a secret!" A long time ago, this protest meant something to Daisuke. It was the rule by which he'd lived his life. Now it was merely a joke, in both a sad and amusing way.

"Kind of like a sin is a sin?" Hikari poked him in the side and raised an eyebrow.

Daisuke groaned and pushed her hand away. They'd had this conversation before, and he wasn't about to get pulled back into her web of deception. How she could still manipulate someone's mind when that someone _knew_ she was manipulating him was beyond Daisuke's understanding. When Hikari had a good notion about something, she was hard to beat in argument, and after these arguments, the loser would feel stupid and confused.

"Don't start _that_ again. You won, remember? Let it drop," Daisuke mumbled, though he wasn't truly upset.

Knowing this, Hikari simply smiled and fluttered her eyes, latching herself to his arm. "Whatever you say, Dais. Whatever you say."

Her answer was only a contemptuous snort as Daisuke half-heartedly shook her away. She moved away and skipped ahead of him to where Takeru would be waiting around the corner. At the edge of the corner, she peered around, her face lighting up like she wasn't expecting Takeru to be there. She said something out of hearing range of Daisuke, then giggled and moved around the corner.

Daisuke quickened his pace to catch up. They wouldn't leave him, but he was a bit anxious to see Takeru. Jun-induced thoughts began to drift through his mind and he quickly shook them away, cursing himself when he heard Haiku give a short laugh. The Council continued to believe that they had control over all his thoughts, so it was important to let Haiku hear something occasionally, but he hadn't wanted _that_ heard!

Takeru was laughing with Hikari about something, typical for when Daisue came around the corner. "Hey, Daisuke. Lagging behind as usual?"

"Somebody has to stay the same," Daisuke replied, giving Hikari a wink and Takeru a smile. "Just because Hikari can bounce around at seven in the morning doesn't mean I can. I'm an afternoon kind of guy."

"Is that a new watch, Dais?" Hikari grabbed Daisuke's arm before he could jerk it back in time and studied the silver watch that took the place of his old one. "I didn't notice it before. Wow, pretty high-tech. What are all these lights for?"

Quick thinking wasn't an attribute of Daisuke's – the times he tried having failed – but when he did think something through, the results were usually good. He expected Hikari and Miyako to notice the new accessory and was glad to have an excuse. "Yeah, my mother bought it for me and thinks it's the coolest. I don't know what those lights are for. Decoration, I suppose."

He pulled his arm back, maybe a little too quick and rough, but Hikari didn't appear to notice this. Her smile only got wider and she turned in the direction of the school. "Well, it's a neat watch," she perked. "Let's go, or we'll be late."

As she idly talked about the lessons they'd been learning and made plans for a study night with Daisuke, Takeru stayed quiet. He watched Daisuke from the corner of his eye. The pneumonia excuse didn't seem right to him, but he would play along with this little game of Daisuke's, for the time being. There would be a point and a place to confront Daisuke about the white lie.

--

"Interesting subject, isn't he?"

Niwa Kiyoshi stole a look in the rear-view mirror at the man sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette, even after being asked not to. He frowned at the words used and went back to watching Daisuke walk with his two friends on the opposite side of the street. There were times when Kiyoshi doubted the legality of the studies performed at the Revision Center, but he wasn't in the position to make suggestions.

"You don't like calling him a subject, do you?"

It would be foolish to reply to Takeuchi Haiku. Whereas Haiku was one of the doctors, Kiyoshi was merely a runner, the person to get the 'subjects' when they were needed or causing trouble, like Daisuke. A smile appeared on his face as he thought about the younger Motomiya. The smile faded just as quickly, though. _I never meant to hurt you… I never mean to lie_…

Haiku took another long drag from his cigarette, his face hidden by the shadows of the dark van. "Interesting thoughts he has.  Very interesting. I didn't know a child could be so wise at times. I wonder… Do you think the Council would let me have permission to keep Motomiya under full watch?"

As much as Kiyoshi wanted to snap a remark about the Revision Center and its ethics, he knew better, only letting his frown deepen. The man in the back seat bothered him, always had. Of all the people Kiyoshi had ever known, Haiku was definitely the best at getting under his skin.

"You like Motomiya Daisuke, don't you? You think he's a funny little character, causing us so many problems," Haiku accused. He didn't sound bitter and spiteful, but… amused?

A whirring noise made Kiyoshi look back once more. Haiku was flicking his cigarette butt out the window. The sunlight that drifted in caught the edge of his face, giving Kiyoshi a small glimpse. Not that he hadn't seen Haiku before, but it was so eerie being around him that it left one feeling as if in the presence of a ghost.

"Tell me, Niwa, why do you not trust the Council's decisions?" Haiku asked, still sounding amused.

Kiyoshi turned the key in the ignition and started the van, the person he'd brought Haiku to see already out of sight. He carefully pulled into traffic and made his way through the curving streets back to the Revision Center, thinking about Haiku's question. Perhaps the Council wanted to keep an eye on _him_. It was a very plausible possibility.

"I trust their decisions," he answered simply.

Haiku smirked. "I'm pleased to hear that."

--
    
    _Asked myself what it's all for_
    
    _You know the funny thing about it_
    
    _I couldn't answer_
    
    _No I couldn't answer_

The halls of the school held a few students who were slower than the rest in the rush to get home. A door slammed, echoing through the empty hallways, and a couple girls laughed together as they bounced out the glass front doors and down the school steps. Except for the occasional click of locks, the hallways were silent.

Daisuke stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The soccer coach would be upset with him for not showing up for practice, but at least he had a good reason for it. He slowly lifted a hand in front of his face and stared at it. It was trembling. His entire body was trembling, and he felt cold because of it, instead of the other way around.

_What's going on?_

His breath came in short gasps, his heart beating wildly. Jun said there would be side affects from the many medications he was on, but this was ridiculous. The doctors were annoying, even smothering at times, but they never intended to harm Daisuke, or so he hoped.

Gripping the edge of the bathroom counter tightly, Daisuke closed his eyes tightly, grinding his teeth at the pain. He counted backwards in his head repeatedly until the pain subsided into a dull ache and then disappeared completely. When this was accomplished, he checked himself in the mirror, shocked to find that his eyes were bloodshot and his face pale. His body felt terribly weak as he stepped away from the counter and leaned over to grab his backpack from the floor. He wavered for a moment, dizziness nearly causing him to drop to the floor.

Still feeling slightly nauseous, he stumbled out of the bathroom, intent on going home.

~~~

His eyes were deep and knowing. They were soft and relaxed, but attentive at the same time. He watched Daisuke's movement, a small smile on his face. His eyes remained calm until he shifted his head to look at Daisuke a different way, and then they changed completely. Now they were worried, fearful. They glinted with sadness and despair. He turned yet one more time and the sadness faded into happiness and devotion.

But best of all, they were **not** gray.

In all three forms Takeru's eyes held their _color_. Daisuke knew now that it had been Takeru's eyes pulling him forward, and he finally came to a stop barely centimeters away from his friend. The color was beautiful, absolutely stunning, even with the shades of it changing each time his eyes shifted, like a hologram being turned left and right.

Daisuke wanted to touch that color.

He wanted to be a part of it, feel its warmth around him. As he slowly lifted his hand, Takeru's eyes, which had been locked on his, suddenly flitted to the left, staring at something beside them. Daisuke paused and glanced in the same direction, wondering what had stolen the other's attention.

~~~

"What makes you think you can just turn tail and run, Daisuke? Now Ken has another area conquered when we could have stopped him! Don't tell me you were afraid!"

Daisuke swallowed uneasily and backed away from Miyako. Would it be wise to tell her the truth? That he couldn't see through blurry eyes and every noise made his head pound? That he _was_ afraid? Afraid of what Ken could do to him when he was like this…

"Miyako… please stop yelling…"

His quiet plea went unheeded by the angered girl.

"All those digimon! They're all enslaved now, probably doing Ken's filthy laundry. Why did you back out when we were winning Daisuke? Without you there to back Takeru and Iori up, Hikari and I were nearly killed!"

Couldn't she see that he was shaking now? He was shaking so badly, and his head hurt so much. Didn't she see the strain in his eyes, the strain to regain his composure? He didn't want to take his medicine in front of his friends… He didn't want them to know what was wrong with him…

"Miyako, I don't think he did it on purpose," Hikari said, gently touching the other girl's arm.

Miyako jerked away. "I don't care! I was nearly crushed by huge rocks because Takeru had to help Iori protect you because Daisuke chickened out!" She spun back around to Daisuke, eyes gleaming angrily. "Just tell me why! Why did you leave?"

_Medicine_… He needed his medicine so bad. Why, oh **why** didn't he take it before they left to the digital world? But the situations never sent him into a panic attack before… Why start now? Takeru… His stupid eyes… Why did they haunt him like this? If Takeru hadn't looked back…

"Are you even listening to me?" Miyako bellowed. She reached for Daisuke's shirt collar, but only grabbed air as he abruptly moved out of his trance to his backpack resting in a nearby chair.

**_Daisuke, are you okay_**?

The sudden whisper of Haiku's voice made Daisuke momentarily freeze. Through his muddled thoughts, he'd wondered where that voice had come from. This, however, was brief, and he continued to unzip his backpack, something that proved to be difficult when one's hands were shaking.

_I've felt like this before… I know I have_…

**_Felt like what, Daisuke_**?

_I remember_…

"Daisuke! Don't ignore me!"

Once more Daisuke became aware of Miyako's high-pitched voice. He winced as it shot more of his nerves on their ends. What again did she want from him? A confession?

"What's so important in your bag that you can't listen to me?" she demanded.

"Miyako… please… Daisuke must have a reason," Iori insisted. The other two nodded in agreement. Miyako started to unclench her fists, but then she thought about those rocks falling towards her and Halsemon and her anger boiled.

"No! I want to know what's going on with him!" Miyako growled, whirling on Iori. "If you'll remember, he was gone for a very long time with a pathetic excuse, and Ken gained control over most of the digital world. The only places that are left _need_ to be defended. How do you suppose we're going to defend them when our _leader_ is backing out of fights? I want to know what's going on with him, Iori! I want to know why he isn't telling us everything!"

Takeru watched silently. He agreed with Miyako about wanting know what was going on with Daisuke, but he wasn't sure that she was going about this the right way…

Daisuke was digging in his backpack now, trying to find the right bottle. There were too many, and which one was he looking for again? _Oh yes_… _number four_…

**_Daisuke_**…

The group watched in amazement as five bottles and two syringes, along with many notes and spirals, came out of Daisuke's bag before he finally gave a triumphant shout. It was only then that everyone finally noticed the way his hands were shaking. They watched quietly as he struggled with the lid on the bottle he had pulled from his bag.

_Stupid childproof cap_!

**_Do you mind explaining, no pun intended_**.

"Daisuke…" Hikari whispered. "What is all that stuff?"

Iori blinked, mouth open in shock. "He… he must be… addicted…"

Miyako felt her original anger swiftly change into a different form. How could one of _her_ friends be a drug-addict? No, certainly not! Not Daisuke! That was the dumbest explanation she'd ever heard, but… Why was he was shaking like that… "Daisuke… give me the bottle."

Daisuke ignored her, still fighting to get the lid off. Honestly, her voice, as well as the others, was simply muffled beeps in the back of his mind, with Haiku's persistent nagging being the only thing he could hear. _I need pop caps_…

**_Tell me what's happening. Are you sick, Daisuke_**?

"Daisuke," Miyako held out her hand. "Give. Me. The bottle."

**_Daisuke, why are you ignoring me? This will only get you into trouble_**.

_Too many voices… Too many beeps_…

Miyako unexpectedly moved forward, grabbing the bottle in Daisuke's hands. She meant to jerk it form his grip, but found that he was clinging to it. "Daisuke! Let go of the bottle!"

_What? What is happening? What's going on? My medicine_…

**_I don't appreciate you doing this, Daisuke_**…

Haiku's voice drowned into the muffled beep as Miyako's became clearer to Daisuke. He knew others were speaking to him as well because he could hear them saying his name; he just couldn't hear what else they were saying.

"Daisuke! Let go!" Miyako yelled.

**_Daisuke_**…

"Daisuke!"

The lid on the bottle snapped – broke – causing Miyako and Daisuke to fall away from each other. The bottle flew from Miyako's hands and into the air as she landed on the tiled floor, blue pills falling and scattering everywhere. The only two noises that registered in Daisuke's mind as he fell against the opposite wall was the clicks of the pills hitting the floor and the roll of the bottle coming to a rest at his feet.

Then the room was silent.

Takeru, Iori, and Hikari stood huddled near one of the computers while Miyako sat on the cold floor. All stared at Daisuke, whose own eyes were focused on the pills, until slowly lifting to Miyako. For the first time since meeting Daisuke, Miyako truly felt afraid. His eyes were no longer soft and determined. They were cold, afflicted, and, worst of all, pissed.

"I… am… having…" Daisuke began. His voice came out in forced breaths, but it was low and dangerous, his eyes narrowing on Miyako. "A very… _bad…_ day." He paused, closing his eyes. "This is… the worst… day… I've… ever… _lived_…" His eyes shot open, burning with rage. "So back _off_!"

In one quick movement, he leapt at Miyako with the clear intention of tearing her apart. An animalistic fury seemed to have taken over his body, and he felt as if he was split in two, one side of him crying to stop and the other wanting to see blood spilled. Miyako, horrified, raised her hands in front of her face as a weak protection and screamed.

But before Daisuke could get within harming range of Miyako, he found himself unexpectedly forced to go back the way he came. This was painful. He was slammed against the wall, the breath leaving his body. He had only a moment to wince before he recognized the intruder and the object in said person's hand.

"No…" he whispered. The needle shined in the florescent lights just before he felt the prick of the needle penetrating his skin. Daisuke hissed and tried to move away, but someone else had moved onto his other side, preventing escape so that he was forced to take the liquid. "Ow…"

Takeru finally came to life as his friend slumped into an unconscious state.

"What did you do to him?" he demanded, trying to push the two men away from Daisuke. "What did you give him?"

"Please step back," one man said softly, pulling him away. "He'll be fine."

Takeru was about to make a biting retort, but the sad look in the man's eye made him stop. He and the other destined watched as the man pick Daisuke, cradling him in his arms carefully and begin to walk out of the room. The other man was placing everything back inside Daisuke's bag, even picking up every dropped pill.

"Motomiya Daisuke will be fine. He is suffering from a new virus, and we would appreciate if you didn't spread this information to public knowledge. We would not like a panicked hysteria to break out," the man said, throwing the backpack over his shoulder.

Takeru could tell he was lying.

"Why didn't you keep him in the hospital then?" he asked coldly, as if to challenge the man.

The man's frown deepened.

"We thought he was getting better."

*  *  *

Takeru stared out the window next to him. His eyes weren't on the trees or the people walking past the school or anything that would normally catch a bored student's attention. He was watching a black van that had parked at the curb on the opposite side of the school's street. The windows were shaded, but every now and then the sunlight caught something inside and caused a quick flash.

He had seen the van pull up, half noticing it while watching two women argue, but then nobody had exited. That had gotten his attention, and now he couldn't take his eyes off of it…

"Takaishi-san!"

A ruler smacked the top of Takeru's desk, breaking him out of his trance. He snapped his head up to see his teacher standing over him, arms folded as she frowned.

"Is there a reason my class bores you?"

Takeru blushed when he heard the giggling of the other students. "Gomenasai, Takahata-sensei. I thought I saw something."

"Pay attention to me, not what is going on outside."

Takeru nodded, still red, and tried to catch up to the lesson. His curiosity increased, however, when he gave one final glance out the window.

The van was gone.

*  *  *

"Well, at least it's not drugs."

Takeru glared at Miyako. "You mean that you really thought he was addicted?"

"Well, come on, Takeru! You saw him! What was I supposed to think? And why else would he have all kinds of medicines in his bag?" Miyako countered. She was not used to having Takeru against her, and it made it harder for her to get angry with him. Or perhaps she was just worried about her other friend… "He was happy, perky, and even though he didn't always have something nice to say, he at least _listened_ when I insulted him. He didn't even do that! Honestly, I'm not sure he even heard me!"

"She's got a point, Takeru. Daisuke never showed signs of being a person to take medicine, well, other than cough syrup when he had a cold," Hikari added. "Miyako's assumption was fair game. Besides, I didn't want him taking what was in those bottles either. They didn't… _look_ right."

This grabbed Iori's attention, and he slid off the table he'd been sitting on. "Yeah, I noticed that, too. I've never known bottles to be black, and I didn't see any writing on them."

"I did. There were gold letters on one side that said 'Revision Center.' The lids were different colors as well," Miyako supplied, glad to think that her earlier statement had something to back it up. "Those guys were really creepy, too."

"I don't know. One of them looked sad," Iori said.

Takeru smiled. "Yeah, like he hadn't _wanted_ to stop Daisuke from murdering Miyako."

"Hey!"

*  *  *

"Daisuke, why, exactly, are you so quiet? I cannot say we have ever seen _this_ side of you before."

Silence.

"Is there something that bothers you?"

"Tell us, Daisuke, why, exactly, is it that you didn't take your medicine until the effects increased?"

More silence.

"Are you going to speak to us at all?"

*  *  *

_Revision Center, huh_?

Takeru thumbed through a phone book. Maybe he could get an address as well as a number, not that he wanted to call the place. Perhaps show up on its doorstep, demanding answers about his best friend and leader. If there was one thing Miyako's rant had proved, it was that Ken's threat toward the digital world needed to be eliminated, and _fast_.

"Just my luck…" he mumbled as he flipped through the R's for a third time. "How many places hand out medicine, but aren't found in a phone book?"

Apparently more than he thought.

With one last sigh, Takeru tossed the phone book back into its place and tried to think of another way to go about getting the address to this so-called 'Revision Center,' if that was even the name. Miyako had later said that she wasn't sure, only having gotten a couple of glances at it. For all he knew, Takeru could be on a wild goose chase.

Yet that look on Daisuke's face haunted him. That look, whenever he turned around to call to Daisuke… that look of panic and marvel that intermingled deep in his friend's eyes. It made him wonder what was going through Daisuke's mind, and if he had somehow provoked the sudden departure of their leader from the battlefield.

But how could he have? He had not done something to upset Daisuke, had he? Perhaps Daisuke had been looking _past_ him instead of _at_ him…

"I'm not getting anywhere!" he yelled to his empty apartment. "Maybe if I… No, that's stupid Takeru! Come on! Think of something!"

_Great, I've been reduced to scolding myself, and now I imagine I will go to my room… hey_!

Takeru's face brightened as a fleeting plan zipped through his mind. 

--

Jun hated the phone. It had to be one of man's worst creations, and yet at the same it was a wonderful asset. 'Can't live with a phone, and can't live without it' tended to be her most said motto.

Since there was no place for her to go in the afternoons – ah, the poor life of a city girl – and the rest of her family were never home – Daisuke usually at soccer practice, hanging out with his friends, or, something that was occurring more and more here recently, being evaluated be the Council, and her parents at work – Jun was, generally, unfortunate enough to catch all the phone calls.

And people didn't exactly call at opportune times.

Today was one of those days where a new person called every five minutes, thus ruining her favorite cartoon. How can one keep up if one only sees two minutes before a phone call or commercial break?

So, needless to say, when Takaishi Takeru knocked in the middle of Zoids: Chaotic Century, Jun all but growled, "Hello," upon opening the front door.

Takeru blinked, not familiar with this side of Jun, but smiling back at her nonetheless. "Hello, Jun! I was wondering if I could get my CD back from Daisuke?"

No doubt due to the stressful past hour with her hand glued to the phone, Jun was not in the mood to ask what the CD was so she could fetch it herself, but rather opted to sigh, "Daisuke isn't here."

"Well, that's fine. I can get it without him…" Takeru hoped she'd get the hint and just let him in. And judging from the looks she was giving him, he felt that he wouldn't be supervised as he snooped through Daisuke's room. If she did happen to get suspicious about what happened to be taking him so long, he could just claim that the CD was lost in Daisuke's mess.

"Yeah, okay," Jun said, annoyed, and let him pass. Through her irritation, she still managed to have a brief thought of just how cute two certain blonde brothers were.

"Thank you, Jun," Takeru said politely, and kindly took his shoes off before going farther into the apartment. "I'll try to be fast."

Jun dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand and hurriedly walked back to the couch, groaning as she caught the ending theme song for her show. At the same time, Takeru caught his first glimpse of Daisuke's bedroom, causing him to let out his own groan in near perfect synchrony. How did that boy find anything? The last time Takeru had visited, excluding when Daisuke was 'sick,' the room had been spotless. Now he was afraid a monster might scramble from underneath the bed and bite his leg off.

The first place Takeru looked was Daisuke's Desk-of-Scattered-Papers. He shuffled through the various homework assignments that had never gotten turned in, the magazines, the drawings, the newspapers, a puzzle, and… what was that? Half of a story? Did Daisuke write? How interesting… The things one learned while snooping.

After rummaging through the drawers and top of the desk for a bit longer than it would have taken him to retrieve a CD, Takeru sighed and chose to look somewhere else. He needed to hurry before Jun poked her head in, not that she seemed to want to leave the television any more than was absolutely necessary.

Nothing was on Daisuke's bed, not that Takeru was surprised. He'd heard Daisuke say once that nothing was more bothersome than trying to sleep on a dirty, cluttered bed. The floor was only littered with dirty clothes, books, plates, cups, hangers – an accident waiting to happen, – and some more newspapers. The closet had boxes of old toys and shirts, but nothing more.

Where did Daisuke keep all his important stuff anyway?

_How am I supposed to find out if he's okay if he hides everything? Is he paranoid or something_? Takeru was just about to get down on his knees and search under the bed when he heard footsteps coming towards the room. Ah-ha, the mighty Jun-detective was on patrol! And her inside slips told her that Takaishi Takeru was up to no good!

As quick as he could, Takeru found a random CD and tossed it on the floor near the door, hoping that it didn't break, and that, if it did, it wasn't Daisuke's favorite. He turned to study the shelf with all the CDs on it right as Jun opened the door. He casually glanced over his shoulder at her before studying the CDs some more.

"I can't seem to find it," Takeru offered before she spoke. "I guess I loaned it to Hikari, but I could have sworn Daisuke took it…"

"Oh… I was just seeing if you were okay in here. I thought maybe one of Daisuke's pet monsters had eaten you alive," Jun joked, trying to look amused, but feeling she would rather roll her eyes.

Takeru forced a laugh as well and turned around to face her. "Nope, not today. I was lucky enough to… Hey! There it is! And on the floor, wouldn't you know?"

Jun followed Takeru's eyes to the gray CD on the floor. She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you sure that's it?"

"Yeah…" Takeru said uneasily. He walked over to the CD and picked it up, frowning when he saw the cover. It was blank, except for being completely gray. There was no writing on the cover. "I guess it isn't." He sighed. "I suppose I was being too hopeful."

Jun snatched the CD away. "Yeah. Anyhow, I'll tell Daisuke that you came by about your CD when he gets home."

"Okay, thanks," Takeru said, but his voice lacked any form of gratitude. Maybe Jun had not caught that edge of despair… "I'll be leaving now. My mother is probably…"

_Ara_…

Of all places…

A small note was taped all too noticeably above the light switch beside the bedroom door. It was a reminder of an appointment. The thing that caught Takeru's eye, however were the crisp, gold letters against the black paper, reading 'Revision Medical Center.'

Takeru gaped at the slip of paper for a moment before finishing his sentence, noticing Jun waiting. "Probably wondering where I am. She tends to get a bit frantic…"

"I'll tell Daisuke," Jun repeated. She turned to walk to the door to let Takeru out.

Before following, Takeru snatched the reminder off the wall and stuffed it in his pocket, smiling at Jun when she took a look over her shoulder to see if he was following. Slipping back into his shoes, he thanked Jun again, and then dashed out of the apartment.

The elevator doors were opening as Takeru approached them, and two men stepped out. Takeru nearly bumped into one, but looked up in time to move. He would have dismissed the two, but they were dressed in a familiar manner. Pausing at the end of the corridor, he watched them approach the Motomiya's door and knock.

_I've seen that guy before_, he thought as he studied the taller of the two. _Yes, he was one of the ones that took Daisuke away_…

As he thought this, the man glanced in his direction, making him scurry into the elevator as inconspicuously as he could.

*  *  *
    
    _Things have turned a deeper shade of blue_
    
    _And images that might be real_
    
    _May be illusion_
    
    _Keep flashing off and on_

"He's not exactly responding to our questions, Takeuchi."

"What do you want me to do about it? I can't force words out of the boy."

"It's your job to get answers. Find a way to pry into his mind."

"Or?"

"Or you'll be searching for a new job."

~~~

Colors.

They were blurred, but they were colors nonetheless. They appeared so bright and striking against the gray world that surrounded them. No longer did Daisuke see the winding, empty streets; instead, a room lay before him. A room that, as he stepped into it, gave him an odd feeling of déjà vu. Lifting his hand, he tried to touch the color, yet it recoiled from his fingers, like his touch was dangerous.

Daisuke cried out and stepped farther into the room, trying to touch the colors. The closer he got to the colors, the farther they ran until they were so far away that surrounding Daisuke was nothing but a cold, gray stone room. He shivered, eyes still locked on the colors seemingly pulled away by an invisible tide.

Lining the walls of the room were shelves full of medicine, yet he could see the different colored caps on the bottles, and the colors of the liquids inside glass bottles sitting next to syringes. These colors, too, were blurred. He felt like he was trying to see through a glass of water.

Water…

~~~

"Well?"

"I have found someone – a friend of his – that may be of some use to you."

*  *  *

_Okay, I've found the place. Now what do I do_?

Takeru stared at the large building in front of him. Lucky for him the appointment slip had a number on it; lucky for him Yamato had a deep voice; and lucky for him Yamato could pose as a parent. His plans truly were brilliant ones. A pity no one ever listened to him.

_If you're so smart, then hurry up and think of a way to get in there. Pose as a patient, maybe? No, that wouldn't work_.

Why didn't this place have a secret side door like in the movies? Weren't all creepy places supposed to have an entrance that wasn't used often? Or a ventilation shaft somewhere that he could crawl through? How did one go about sneaking in if there wasn't a way to sneak?

"Well, I guess I just walk in and ask."

Though he was an optimistic person and always had a sort of hope about things, even Takeru had his limitations. It was hard to _not_ be a pessimist when merely walking into 'enemy territory' without so much as an excuse in case he was caught. Certainly, "I was coming to find out what's going on with my friend, because I sincerely hate being left in the dark" wouldn't work.

And did he really have the right to interfere with Daisuke's life? This was a question that bugged him quite frequently. One side of him said that he needed to know, since, after all, he was Daisuke's best friend. But the other side argued that if Daisuke hadn't told him by now, he shouldn't be sticking his nose where it didn't belong, and it definitely didn't belong inside a place that looked like a mental institution.

Takeru, however, chose to ignore that line of thought, focusing instead on what was responsible for it, his angel or his devil side?

_I wonder about the oddest things_…

Up the steps and behind the glass doors, the inside of the building appeared to be a hospital. The employees even wore the scrub outfits and a few had stethoscopes around their necks. It had to be a hospital. _Well, duh. Revision_ Medical _Center_… Doors lined the walls on either side until the main strip broke into smaller hallways that turned off elsewhere. No one, except the woman sitting behind a large counter at the end of the hallway, paid any attention to Takeru as he stepped inside the building.

She peered at him as he approached, her eyes dull and her mouth in a thin line. "How may I help you?"

"I… I was…" Takeru paused, wondering what he could say. Perhaps he could just turn and walk off like he knew where he was going. As strange as the option was, he glimpsed to his right to see if there was possible escape that way. No, but his eyes did catch a sign, causing a new idea to pop into his head. "I was looking for a bathroom. My mother doesn't like me using unclean facilities and thought this place looked clean enough to be a hospital…"

"Where is your mother now?" the woman asked.

"She's… uh… waiting in the car," Takeru answered, trying to smile innocently. "Needed to check the map while I… uh, am away."

The woman seemed to be thinking about his request, and, after a moment, motioned him toward the right. "The bathrooms are over there. Be quick. We're not open to any stranger that happens to walk in."

"Thank you," Takeru replied with a bow, and hurried off.

Once inside the restroom, he let out a relieved sigh. Somewhere, some divine power was looking out for him, otherwise his lame excuse would have left him falling flat on his face, most likely as he was tossed out the front doors for intruding where he didn't belong. Now, though, he not only had to get _out_ of the restroom, but also down the hallway without being noticed.

Quietly, Takeru eased the large door open and peeked out. The woman at the counter had her back to him and was shuffling through files in a cabinet. A man dressed in what appeared to be a lab coat leaned over the counter, talking to her. He, too, had his back to Takeru. Carefully, Takeru stuck his head farther out to see the other side of the hallway. It was empty.

_Who's the lucky one_ now_?_

Takeru darted out of the restroom and raced down the hall as quickly as possible to avoid being caught.

"Hey! You! Get back here!"

Obviously he wasn't fast enough.

Squeaking like a mouse, he took a sharp turn down another hallway. At the end of this hallway there was a fire exit door, and he nearly burst through it, yet caught himself in time, knowing the alarm would go off. Of course, that _would_ have made everyone leave the building, but he did not want to cause any unnecessary panic.

One of the doors along the hallway was ajar, and Takeru rushed to it. He closed the door behind him, locking it just as his pursuers came around the other end of the hallway. He could still hear the voices outside asking each other questions as he backed into the shadows of the room.

It was not until these voices died away that Takeru let go of the breath he had been holding. Only then did the second voice register in his mind. This voice was soft, like a young child's, female, and it was singing a soft tune. Despite this, Takeru gasped and spun around; still half-expecting to see someone he did not want to.

A dim, blue light glowed further into the room, indicating that the room was rather large. The glow surrounded the body of a small girl sitting at a desk in the corner. Takeru stepped silently towards the girl, listening to her humming softly. The tune was that of a child's song, one he vaguely remembered from his younger years.

As he got close, Takeru recognized the same cinnamon red hair that Daisuke had, only this girl's was long and straight, untidy from lack of brushing. Unlike Daisuke, however, her skin was paler than snow. Her voice sounded so innocent, the notes of the song thick drops of melody cutting through the cold, still air.

Takeru came to a stop beside her, looking over her shoulder to see what she was working on. It was a jigsaw puzzle; the same that he had seen in Daisuke's room. Only, there was a difference to this one. He could not think of the difference right off, not having had but a glance at Daisuke's puzzle the day before. Still the two were remarkably, perhaps even absurdly, familiar.

"Excuse me," Takeru said softly.

Instead of startling at the voice behind her, the girl ignored it. She continued to hum and move pieces about the table; connecting them so swiftly it gave Takeru impression she had done this puzzle many times before.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Takeru started again, hoping to grab her attention this time. _What am I thinking? I barge in here without a warning and start trying to talk to her. No wonder she's ignoring me. And what should I say when she finally responds_? "I know I shouldn't have…"

"Don't bother. She can't hear you."

Takeru squeaked again and whirled around. He'd been so caught up in his own thoughts he had not heard the door opening or the person move into the room behind him, unless this person was just _that_ good at not making a sound.

The man stepped farther into the blue light, having shut the door behind himself as well. Takeru's eyes widened upon recognizing this man as the one who'd taken Daisuke away. He'd never forget that gleam of unhappiness in the man's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Takeru stuttered. "I just wanted to…"

"Find Daisuke? I know," the man answered, smiling gently. His gaze turned away from Takeru and towards the girl. "She can't hear anything, apart from her thoughts and a mischief elf's voice telling her what to do."

Not sure whether the last bit was meant as a joke or not, Takeru gave a short, uneasy laugh. He did not feel threatened by this man, but after his digital world experiences he had grown slightly paranoid. At the very moment, his gut instinct was screaming at him to run, however, he also had some questions he wanted to ask. In the end, curiosity won.

"If she can't hear… then how does she know that song?"

The man reached over the girl's shoulder and fixed two pieces that had been placed backwards, causing the girl to peer back at him, smiling in a childish way. The man smiled back and even winked at her before answering Takeru's question. "She doesn't know that she knows that song. She can't remember learning it, or the time when she could have heard it. She was too young."

"So… she could hear at one point in time?" Takeru continued, more questions flooding into his mind.

"At one point in time," the man echoed. "That was a long time ago."

"Why is it so dark in here?"

At this, the man sighed, tilting the little girl's head so she would look at Takeru. Her eyes were such a soft shade of brown it was hard to tell if there was color at all. "Light is too bright." The man let her return to the puzzle. "Now then, I'm sorry but you cannot stay. You are trespassing without cause."

"I have cause!" Takeru snapped, suddenly feeling angry. "I want to know if Daisuke is okay! You just took him away without explaining anything! He's sick, and I want to know with what!"

The man turned his solemn eyes on Takeru once more. "Motomiya Daisuke is doing well. He'll be returning to school soon, and you can discuss your problems with him then. However, I do not have the authorization to tell you anything he wouldn't want you to know. Please follow me."

With a grumpy sigh, Takeru cautiously followed the man out the door, taking one last look at the girl before the door closed. Several people frowned at him as he passed, making him feel awkward again. The woman at the front counter gave him an especially dirty glare. Once they were outside, Takeru began his frustrated walk home, but the man's voice rose behind him.

"I'm asking you to leave this alone, Takaishi Takeru. You are being let off the hook this time because we understand the loyalty you have towards a friend," the man was saying. "Should this happen again, in spite of this warning, we will be forced to take the matter to terms that you might not enjoy, and I am sure your mother would not."

Reluctantly, Takeru nodded. He was never the kid to cause problems, well, until today. _Daisuke is rubbing off on me_… _whenever I see him that is_…

Kiyoshi watched Takeru until he was out of sight. Even then Kiyoshi stood on the steps outside of the Revision Center. He had to admit, Takeru was a very resourceful person, and he wondered how the boy had managed to get the address of the center. Daisuke chose his friends well, making feelings of pride swell in Kiyoshi's chest.

"Why did you let him go? We should have made sure he wont be sneaking back in."

Kiyoshi's smile immediately changed into an agitated frown. He gave a sideways glance at Haiku standing next to him. "He won't, I assure you."

"How can you be sure?" Haiku demanded faintly, still watching the direction Takeru had walked off in.

"Not all of us have to _hear_ a man's thoughts to know what he is thinking, Haiku," Kiyoshi said smartly, and turned to walk back inside.

Haiku caught his arm, jerking him back. "If I were you, I'd be watching what I say a little more closely."

"Is that a threat?" Kiyoshi growled.

With a short laugh, Haiku let go of Kiyoshi and dug in his pockets for a lighter. "No, merely a friendly warning. I'd hate to see a man of your intelligence fall into any _predicaments_."

*  *  *
    
    _Free_
    
    _Wanna be free_
    
    _Gonna be free_

"You've been doing quite a bit better, Daisuke. We are surprised, but happy for this change of heart."

The six doctors waited for a response.

"This will make the tests easier on you. We don't like to hurt you, Daisuke."

Again, silence.

"Don't you have anything you want to say?"

Daisuke kept his stare on the floor.

One of the doctors sighed, tapping his pencil impatiently. With other patients, they were used to receiving silence, but Daisuke always had something he wanted to say. With other patients, they knew how to handle the silence and get the requested answers. This change in Daisuke made them nervous. Haiku said there was no thinking occurring. Daisuke was dead to them, possibly lost in a deeper thought than they could reach.

"Motomiya Daisuke, this silence isn't going to help your situation. You are still on watch, and acting like you're sick will only anger us."

More silence.

The doctor opened his mouth to speak once more, but the man beside him lifted a hand, indicating that it was his turn to try. This doctor never spoke, making the other five curious to hear what he had to say. But would it have an affect on Daisuke?

"Your friend Takeru said he was worried about you."

Haiku, who'd been watching through the little window, startled as a faint whisper of Takeru's name flew through his mind. Daisuke was thinking again. He pressed a button on the remote in his hand, causing a small green light on the wall behind Daisuke to flash twice. This was how he communicated with the Council.

The doctors were delighted to see that the statement received a response, even if it was not noticeable. Daisuke still sat perfectly motionless on the stool, with his head hanging as he stared at the floor. Without Haiku, the doctors would have thought the latest attempt a failure. Now that they knew he was listening, the doctor continued on.

"Takaishi-san worries for your health."

One of the other doctors took the pause as his cue, saying, "Yes. Your mother says that he came by the apartment a few days ago, wondering if you were all right."

Haiku flashed the light once as Daisuke's thoughts died away again.

The normally quiet doctor sent the other a glare for interrupting his process of cracking the ice walls Daisuke had obviously put around himself. His glare screamed for the others to be silent and they did just that. He waited for a moment to pass before starting over.

"Takaishi Takeru is your best friend."

_Takeru… is my only real friend_…

The light flashed twice.

"You trust him, but don't know why."

_Wasn't I supposed to hate Takeru_?

The light flashed twice again.

"What is it that draws you to Takeru?"

The thoughts ceased, but a reaction occurred nonetheless. Daisuke lifted his head to the doctors, eyes scanning them until he came to the shadow speaking to him.

"You worry for him as well," the doctor said.

Daisuke's eyes narrowed on the doctor. "Stop it."

Not heeding his request, the doctor continued. "The two of you share something."

Daisuke moved suddenly, like he had suffered from a punch to the face. "Stop it…"

"Friendship is a powerful thing. But you know that."

"Stop it!" Daisuke cried, his hands flying to his ears.

"There's something different about his loyalty to you, isn't there?"

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" Daisuke screamed. He leapt off the stool, grabbed it, and threw it at the shadowed doctors. "STOP IT!"

The doctors jumped out of their chairs as the stool came flying at them. It hit the table at which they sat, and dropped to the floor with a loud crash. Daisuke, meanwhile, had collapsed, holding his hands over his ears and repeating the same thing over and over. The doctors watched him, a few shaking their heads sadly.

Nurses moved into the room, bearing syringes. They rushed to Daisuke's side, trying first to calm him without the use of medicine.

Behind the mirrored glass, Haiku had gotten to his feet and was trying to talk to Daisuke. The only answers he got were sentences of jumbled nothingness.

"Congratulations, Haiku," a voice said from behind him. He spun around to find Kiyoshi standing there, eyes watching Daisuke as he fought the nurses before moving to Haiku. His eyes were hard, full of hate. "It looks like you've finally managed to break him."

Haiku growled, but then smirked haughtily. "You know nothing."

Kiyoshi suddenly reached out and shoved Haiku against the glass roughly, hands drifting closer to the other man's neck. "I know more than you think," he hissed in a despondent, but treacherous tone. He jerked Haiku forward and the shoved him back again, this time rougher than the first. "I don't think the other doctors will like to know what you've been doing to his mind."

"I haven't done anything to him!" Haiku snarled and struggled to get free of Kiyoshi's grasp. "I warned you not to meddle in things you don't understand. Now you think you've got something when really you're on nothing but a wild goose chase."

"Am I? Then why is there fear in your eyes?" Kiyoshi challenged. A flash of panic appeared on Haiku's face, making Kiyoshi sneer. "I told you already. Not all of us have to hear a man's thoughts to know what he is thinking. You should have listened to me."

The door behind Kiyoshi opened and three officers walked in. Kiyoshi let go of Haiku and stepped back. Haiku glared at him, jerking away from the advancing officer. "You don't have any proof."

Kiyoshi lifted a green notebook, watching Haiku's eyes go wide. "Next time you're trying your own experiments and recording them, don't leave your information so readily available."

Haiku had a look of amazement on his face. He glanced back through the mirrored glass, where Daisuke had already been taken away, but the council doctors were still discussing the events. An officer was walking into the room to speak with them, and it was then Haiku knew he had lost.

*  *  *

**Patient 1-0-1. File 3-2. Test 33.**

**Patient Name: Niwa Daisuke**

**Subject Access Name: Motomiya Daisuke**

**Subject Code: 3-4-2-6**

**Thought contact between Subject and Doctor 2-6-1 has been broken. Cause: Unknown. Revision Council Doctors 3-4-8, 2-2-1, 5-4-7, 2-0-9, 3-1-3, and 6-7-0 theorize that Subject had a breakdown of the mind and learned to block thought processor. It has been assumed that Subject has been controlling thought processor with leisure. Due to the recent events, Subject 3-4-2-6 is hereby released under Access Name. Owing to the abrupt stop of the tests, Subject's condition will be abandoned.**

~~~

They were putting some sort of liquid in his eyes. It burned, but he had the feeling someone had told him it was only water, and thus, would not. How could water hurt so much? And who was crying? He wanted to see her, this woman that was crying. He wanted to ask her what was the matter. Why did she cry? Was it because of something he did? Or was it for him?

He could not see the people sticking the liquid in his eyes, they were blurred, and their language was foreign. No… he knew that language, yet it was unrecognizable, like they were using words for which he did not know the meaning. They finally let him blink the liquid away, and suddenly, things started changing.

The room was coming back into focus, but the faint colors of it were drifting away. Daisuke could make out a man and a woman standing nearby. He knew this man, but there was something different. The man looked so much younger, and he didn't have that stressed appearance about him. He still wore the same sad expression, though. Daisuke could not recognize the woman at all.

What were they doing to him? Why were the colors leaving? What were these words they were using? Tests? Medications?

But then, as if it had been there all along, Daisuke knew.

~~~
    
    _Please_
    
    _Don't wake me from the dream_
    
    _It's really everything it seemed_
    
    _I'm so free_
    
    _No black and white in the blue_

"So I can go home?"

Kiyoshi chuckled at the suspicious look on Daisuke's face. "As soon as they're sure you're one hundred percent okay."

Daisuke's eyes dropped to his lap. "But I'm never going to be once hundred percent okay, am I?"

A small twinge of guilt made Kiyoshi mentally wince. "No. Your eyes will never be healed if you leave the program now. You could always stay on, Daisuke. They could fix… your problem. All they need is a small breakthrough."

There wasn't even the slightest hesitation from Daisuke as he shook his head. "Never. I hate this place and I never want to come here again. They did this to me, and I hate them for that." He flopped back on the hospital bed and glowered at the ceiling. "Why did you let them do it?"

"I thought it was for the best. I didn't want you growing up without a family," Kiyoshi answered quietly. He leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. "They told me the only price for them finding you a real family that could take care of you properly was that they'd be allowed to try a few things. 'Harmless' they told me. 'Absolutely harmless. We just want to try some new medicines on him. The only effects will be slight nausea. Of course we won't try these medicines until he's older.' They lied to me."

Daisuke felt a shiver run through his body. _Yeah, they lied. Slight nausea, my ass_.

"I honestly thought it was best for your future, and the Motomiya's seemed so nice…" Kiyoshi felt a lump in his throat. _I never, ever wanted to hurt you Daisuke. I wish you could understand_…

"I guess things didn't go as planned," Daisuke said sarcastically. He couldn't help his anger. Memories were flooding his mind, memories that were meant to be forgotten. And he still expected to hear Haiku, whispering, chuckling… mocking him. The silence in his mind was almost as unbearable as the biting voice.

What would he do now with all this knowledge? His past lingered like an old film, a classic that he would not want to forget. Yet it didn't seem real to him.

And what about Kiyoshi?

Daisuke sat up and looked at the man sitting so gloomily in the chair. His eyes were on Daisuke, longing for forgiveness. They were dulled over, bearing pain and sadness, a stark contrast to the cheery eyes that filled Daisuke's memories. Kiyoshi looked much older than his age, the stress over Daisuke having torn him to pieces.

"Are you going to come visit me?" Daisuke asked.

The question brought hope to Kiyoshi's eyes. Maybe one day Daisuke would forgive him, though he did not think he deserved it. "Of course. Unless you don't want me to…"

"I think we have a lot of catching up to do," Daisuke replied with a small smile.

A little time could do wonders.

*  *  *
    
    _And move among the stars_
    
    _You know they really aren't so far_
    
    _Feels so free_
    
    _Gotta know free_

Takeru stretched, enjoying the warm sunspot he was sitting in. Winter had finally succeeded in coming, though it was still mild. It was a bright day, and nothing could spoil Takeru's mood. He leaned against the railing that went down the center of the steps leading to the Revision Center's entrance.

Miyako sat on the other side of the rail slightly above him, working on her homework to pass the time. She glanced at Takeru when he sighed, and something twisted inside of her. Closing the literature book, she tapped Takeru on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" Takeru asked, not bothering to turn.

"Do you… do you think Daisuke is still mad at me?"

Hikari and Iori stopped playing rock-paper-scissors and too looked at Takeru.

"Been wanting to ask that for a while, eh?" Takeru chuckled. He tilted his head back and stared at Miyako upside-down. "He probably doesn't even remember that, and if he does… Well, just tell him you're sorry. Daisuke can be level headed when he wants to. You don't give him enough credit."

Reluctantly, Miyako nodded. She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt, guilt for being the one to start Daisuke's breakdown. Yet, Jun had told her things were going fine, and Daisuke might actually thank her for she had done. Miyako hardly saw Daisuke thanking her in the near future, giving her the cold shoulder maybe, but not thanking her.

But Takeru was right. Maybe she wasn't giving Daisuke enough credit.

There was the sound of glass doors opening and the four sitting on the steps all turned to see who was coming out. Daisuke smiled brightly at them, followed by his mother and Jun.

"Daisuke!" Hikari cried, and leapt to her feet. Iori and Miyako quickly followed suit. Only Takeru remained on the steps, but he grinned up at Daisuke.

"I'm so sorry, Dai. I didn't mean any of it, honest…" Miyako apologized.

"I know you don't care to hear this now, but the digital world is still in grave danger…" Iori, always the one to stay on task.

Hikari hugged her friend. "I've missed having you ask me for all the answers in math."

Daisuke laughed and held up his hands for them to all stop talking at once. "Okay, I'm glad to find that I'm loved, but can we discuss all this later? I just want ice cream right now."

The three of them nodded and started to skip down the stairs toward the parking lot. Jun and her mother nodded to Daisuke and followed the others. Only Takeru remained on the steps, grinning at Daisuke

"So…" he started, finally getting to his feet and dusting the dust off the back of his shorts. "Are you going to tell me what's been going on?"

Daisuke smiled softly. "Maybe one day, but not any time soon."

"Oh. I see. You're going to keep my in the dark, then?" Takeru asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, basically. Until I feel ready to talk about it. I'm still not sure of everything, but it's starting to make sense, you know?" Daisuke started down the stairs, hands in his pockets and eyes on the ground. Takeru joined him and the two headed to where everyone was waiting.

"I guess this means everything goes back to being black and white."

Daisuke paused on the last step, lifting his eyes to Takeru. A small smile graced his features.

"Nothing is black and white in this world, Takeru. It's all infinite shades of gray."
    
    _Everything is clearer now_
    
    _Life is just a dream you know_
    
    _That's never ending_

_I'm ascending_

-

-

I hope that didn't seem rushed, and made sense. I didn't want to come out right and say everything, but I wanted to let you know the deal. Did _any_ of it make sense? Especially the thing between Kiyoshi and Daisuke?


End file.
